Flowers are planted in Sa Đéc City’s Tân Quy Đông Ward in Đồng Tháp Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Trí

ĐỒNG THÁP — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Đồng Tháp aims to achieve its economic growth target of 7.5 per cent this year.

The province’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP) reached 5.54 per cent in the first nine months of the year, ranking seventh among the delta’s 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City.

The province’s socio-economic development recovered and grew in most sectors during the period, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector had a growth rate of 3 per cent and the industry sector had a growth rate of 5.9 per cent.

Retail sales and consumer services revenue grew 13.2 per cent.

Exports reached US$915 million, including $531 million for rice.

The province received 3.2 million tourists, up 7.5 per cent year-on-year.

Up to 495 new enterprises with total registered capital of VNĐ2.6 trillion ($107 million) were established in the first nine months of the year.

However, the development of enterprises was slow compared to the same period last year, according to the province’s Department of Planning and Investment.

Đồng Tháp has fertile farming areas and is the third largest rice producer, and first largest mango and tra fish producer in the delta.

It produces more than three million tonnes of paddy, 137,000 tonnes of mangos and 500,000 tonnes of tra fish a year.

Its tra fish is exported to 134 countries and territories.

The province has strong potential for tourism development as it has various famous historical and natural sites such as the Xẻo Quýt national historic site and the Tràm Chim National Park.

It has 357 products, including 50 lotus-related products, recognised under the country’s “One Commune-One Product” (OCOP) programme and ranks third in the country for having the highest number of OCOP products.

Phạm Thiện Nghĩa, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province will implement 12 key missions and solutions to develop the socio-economy, and effectively implement its programme of developing the socio-economy in the remaining months of the year.

Relevant departments and localities should focus on developing agricultural production in the remaining months of the year because it is the province’s strength, he said.

Prices of rice are high this year and this helps farmers to have high incomes, he said.

Relevant departments and localities should create favourable conditions to assist the development of enterprises, he said.

The banking sector should have flexible solutions to help enterprises overcome difficulties, he said.

The province will assist producers to develop products under the country’s OCOP programme and boost building new-style rural areas.

It will strictly manage origin traceability and production codes of farming areas to secure the quality of agricultural products to meet the requirements of export markets.

It will prepare to organise the first Sa Đéc Flower-Ornamental Plant Festival in December. The week-long event also aims to develop flower and ornamental plant farming in combination with tourism services. VNS