A longan orchard in Sóc Trăng Province’s Cù Lao Dung District. Growing longan and other specialty fruits has offered high incomes for farmers this year.– VNA/VNS Photo An Hiếu

SÓC TRĂNG – Sóc Trăng Province has set a goal for its agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector to account for 40 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) next year, according to its Party Committee.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province also aims for the production value of its farmland to be VNĐ240 million (US$9,800) per hectare next year.

To reach the targets of next year, the province will continue to restructure agricultural production in 2021-25 and develop value chains and concentrated farming areas, use advanced farming techniques and high quality farming standards, develop production codes for farming areas and expand markets for agricultural products.

The province has about 280,300ha of farmland, accounting for 84 per cent of its total area, which ranks fifth among the delta’s 12 provinces and Cần Thơ City.

It has favourable conditions for developing diversified agricultural products and sustainable agricultural production.

It has effectively implemented projects and plans which restructure agricultural production to suit each locality and will gradually switch from small-scale animal breeding to large-scale farms.

Relevant departments and agencies have tightened management of the quality of materials for agricultural production and diseases, focusing on improving the quality of seeds and seedlings for cultivation to improve quality and yield.

The province has taken measures to prevent and control saltwater intrusion and drought this year to secure irrigation water for agricultural production, and has treated erosion along rivers, canals and coasts to protect agricultural production and the safety of local people, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Local authorities have encouraged farmers to restructure their crop cultivation to improve income and proactively take measures to prevent diseases in animals, poultry and aquatic species.

The province gives priority to developing the cultivation of rice, brackish water shrimp, fruit, red onion, fresh water fish, and cattle for milk and meat.

It now has 475,862 animals, up 18 per cent against the same period last year.

It grew 330,381ha of rice with an annual output of more than 2 million tonnes this year, with high quality and specialty rice varieties accounting for 93 per cent of the output.

It also grew 47,000ha of vegetables and other short-term crops this year.

It now has 28,910ha of fruit, up 1.6 per cent against the same period last year.

Of the fruit area, more than 13,000ha are planted under organic farming methods.

Huỳnh Ngọc Nhã, director of the department, said sales of rice, vegetables and fruits were favourable this year and their selling prices were also higher than last year.

The prices of rice are VNĐ6,000-8,000 a kilogramme, up VNĐ900-2,400 against last year and farmers earn a profit of VNĐ20.5-23 million ($840-950) per hectare, according to the director.

The prices of vegetables increased VNĐ2,000-7,000 a kilogramme this year compared to last year and the prices of fruits increased VNĐ2,000-38,000 a kilogramme.

Sóc Trăng, which is one of the delta’s leading provinces in implementing high-tech shrimp farming, has bred more than 50,100ha of brackish water shrimp so far this year, meeting 98 per cent of its target.

Farmers in the province have harvested more than 37,700ha of brackish water shrimp with a total output of 206,000 tonnes.

The province exported US$695 million of seafood, mostly shrimp, in the first nine months of the year.– VNS