HÀ NỘI — Some 5 per cent of the total cultivated land in the country have used the economical watering system.

This was reported by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoàng Văn Thắng at a workshop on Thursday.

The economic watering model includes rain-spraying style, drop-by-drop and greenhouse.

This watering system has been employed in hi-tech agricultural production areas led by large groups, including TH True Milk, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, Thành Công Tây Ninh and Vingroup.

The application of the economic watering model has helped increase productivity by 10-15 per cent and reduced the cost of labourers as well, according to Đinh Thanh Mừng, an expert from the Science, Technology and International Cooperation Department of the National Irrigation Administration.

By the end of last year, the total cultivated area across the country using the economic watering system was 276,000ha, increasing three folds compared to 2013, which marked the beginning of agricultural restructuring in the country, said Thắng.

However, application was modest.

To reach the goal of 500,000ha of cultivated area using the hi-tech watering model by 2020, localities should set up hi-tech agricultural production areas aimed at bringing higher added values.

“To expand the advanced watering system, the country’s agriculture sector needs restructuring with several measures, including production organisation and cooperation enhancement among farmers, cooperatives and businesses,” said the deputy minister.

“Besides, policies encouraging businesses to invest in agricultural production and rural development will be an important factor to help increase the cultivated areas using the economical watering model,” he said.

Along with soft loans for hi-tech agricultural production, the newly issued Law on Irrigation and decree on supporting small-scale irrigation works and advanced watering system will be important legal frameworks supporting the expansion of the economical watering model nationwide, Thắng said. — VNS