HCM City agriculture reaps profits despite urbanisation
VietNamNet Bridge - HCM City’s agricultural output has risen by an average of 5.9 per cent this decade despite losing farm land to urbanisation. This is because farmers have switched to more lucrative crops, a top official has said.
 |
Farmers harvest melons in Nhuan Duc Commune, Cu Chi District, in HCM City. The area under cultivation with flowers and organic vegetables in the city has increased to more than 1,200ha from 880ha in 2005. |
Nguyen Trung Tin, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said the sector has also industrialised rapidly in recent years, with corporate farms gradually replacing family-owned ones.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) said farm output increased from VND31 million (US$1,800) per ha in 2000 to VND120 million last year.
Farmers who grow flowers and ornamental trees now earn VND700 million ($42,400) per ha while crocodile farmers make a turnover of more than VND1 billion ($60,000) per ha.
Tin said the share of animal husbandry increased from 21.5 per cent in 1995 to 34 per cent last year, while cultivation fell from 52 per cent to 28 per cent.
The city now has the largest number of dairy cows in the country – 67,000 or 2.6 times of the 2000 number.
To further develop the sector, the city plans to earmark areas that would breed hybrid plants and animals for selling to farmers, DARD said.
It also realises that organic vegetables, dairy cows, black tiger shrimp, flowers, ornamental fish, and bonsai trees are key products fetching high values.
Tin said with the switchover in crops, the area under flowers and organic vegetables has increased to more than 1,200ha compared to 880ha in 2005.
They are predominantly in Binh Tan, Thu Duc, Cu Chi, and Hoc Mon districts.
He said the city also hopes to increase average income per ha to VND150 million ($9,000) in 2010 and VND300 million in 2020.
DARD reported that the city has 116,000ha of agricultural land, or 60 per cent of its land area.
It has been, however, losing more than 1,000ha of agricultural land to urbanisation and industrial development every year.
(Source: VNS)
Related posts:
- City’s agricultural diversity reaps rewards
- Supplying water to outlying areas erodes profits, says City utility
- Urbanisation leaves HCM City farmers with no land to cultivate
- City adds agriculture to stimulus list, to subsidize loans
- Planning fails to keep pace with urbanisation
Comments