Hydroponic vegetables being grown in HCM City’s Củ Chi District. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Linh

HCM CITY — HCM City plans to increase the value of its agricultural output to VNĐ640-660 million (US$27,400-28,200) per hectare this year, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It was VNĐ570 million (US$24,400) per hectare last year after rising sharply from 2021.

Speaking at a seminar on Wednesday, Đinh Minh Hiệp, director of the department, said the city’s farmlands have shrunk gradually.

The city is restructuring agriculture, focusing on six key items, vegetables, flowers and ornamental plants, cows, pigs, brackish water shrimp, and ornamental fish, he said.

The six items offer farmers higher incomes than other products, according to the department.

Hiệp said the city is focusing on hi-tech agriculture in combination with eco-tourism to enhance value and advantages.

Agriculture accounts for 0.6 per cent of the city’s economy but plays an important role in local supply, according to the department.

Hiệp said the agricultural sector has recovered and developed strongly post-pandemic.

Last year the city restructured agricultural production towards increasing added value, developing sustainably and building new-style rural areas.

Total agricultural production was worth VNĐ19 trillion ($810 million) last year, up 3.7 per cent from 2021, with the six key items accounting for VNĐ12.9 trillion ($552 million).

The city has developed various urban farming models with high efficiency due to the use of technology in recent years.

The rate of use of technology in agriculture has increased from 10 per cent in 2010 to 48 per cent now.

But agriculture is facing difficulties such as small scale and rapid urbanisation.

The city has 113,634ha of farmlands, or 54.2 per cent of its total area, including 400ha of hi-tech farming areas.

Its 88.17ha hi-tech agricultural zone in Củ Chi District, the first of its kind in the country, has attracted many investors who grow orchids and other flowers, ornamental plants, mushrooms, medicinal plants, and raise ornamental fish. — VNS