HCM CITY — The average production value per hectare of agricultural land in HCM City has increased year after year even as the area shrank, according to the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Last year the value increased by 10.9 per cent to VNĐ450 million (US$19,806) per hectare, among the highest in the country.

This was a result of shifting the farming structure towards an urban-oriented model and increasing the use of sophisticated technologies.

Thus, in some places, unproductive rice and sugarcane growing areas became farms growing bonsai, flowers and vegetables, bringing farmers higher profits.

More than 389ha of lands were converted last year, up 385.5 per cent, and farmers grow vegetables and fruits in them.

Vegetables bring revenues of VNĐ1-1.4 billion per hectare annually; orchids, around VNĐ2 billion; dairy cows (at a scale of 20 head per household), VNĐ800 million; shrimp, VNĐ2.7-3 billion per hectare; and ornamental fish, VNĐ10-12 billion per hectare.

These farmers earn 30-40 per cent profits.

According to the department, vegetables were grown on a total of 17,270ha, 12.4 per cent up from 2016, with the output rising 14.3 per cent to more than 419,410 tonnes.

The city also had around 2,300ha of land under flowers and ornamental trees, up 7 per cent.

There were 142,653 cows, a year-on-year decrease of 6.6 per cent, and 343,300 pigs, a decrease of 4.6 per cent, it said.

Aquaculture and seafood output rose by 5.5 per cent.

The city exported 18.2 million ornamental fishes for $20 million, a year-on-year increase of 21.2 per cent, it said.

Agriculture accounted for only 0.8 per cent of the city’s economy, but it was worth VNĐ19.6 trillion, comparable to one of the country’s larger agricultural provinces.

Its agro-forestry and fisheries sectors expanded at 6.3 per cent, 2.2 times the national average.

This year, the farm sector would strive to raise average production per hectare to VNĐ500 million and grow agro-forestry and fisheries by 6 per cent, the department said.

To achieve its targets, it said the city would continue its agricultural restructuring, especially enhancing the use of high-tech methods including bio-technology to provide safe and quality products. — VNS