Farmers in Đồng Tháp Province’s Sa Đéc City tend flowers. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Trí

ĐỒNG THÁP – The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp plans to make flower and ornamental plant farming one of its key sectors.

It plans to grow it into a VNĐ7 trillion (US$300 million) sector by 2025, according to its People’s Committee.

It aims to have more than 3,500ha under flowers and ornamental plants by then, 1,100ha in Sa Đéc City, 1,500ha in Lai Vung District, 450ha in Lấp Vò District, and 50ha in Cao Lãnh City.

It will provide each farmer and organisation requiring new varieties of flowers and ornamental plants with two to three of them.

It will produce disease-free seedlings through the in-vitro method to meet the requirements of farmers and both domestic and export markets, tying up with research institutes, universities and other organisations for the purpose.

It will link up with other delta provinces to establish high-quality seedling producing areas, operate efficiently and expand value chains for the production of flowers and ornamental plants.

It will develop linkages between stakeholders in producing and consuming them to achieve economies of scale and consistent quality to meet the requirements of markets.

It will develop flower and ornamental plant growing villages that also offer tourism services.

It will develop three to four products recognised under the country’s One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme, and encourage companies to participate in this.

It aims to set up a community-based tourism site growing flowers and ornamental plants that have a three-star OCOP rating.

Sa Đéc City, well known nation-wide for its flowers and ornamental plants, has been at it for more than 100 years.

Bùi Thanh Sơn, deputy chairman of its People’s Committee, said the city has rezoned flower and ornamental plant growing areas in line with its socio-economic development.

It has supported co-operatives that gather farmers together and secure outlets for their produce.

Local farmers grow more than 2,000 varieties of flowers and ornamental plants on 946ha, and earn VNĐ2.8 trillion ($120 million) a year. – VNS