Growing flowers and ornamental plants helps Hồng Vân Commune in Thường Tín District become more liveable. — Photo courtesy of Hà Nội’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

HÀ NỘI — Flowers and ornamental plants not only protect the ecological environment but also help increase people's incomes, speed up the development of new style rural areas and urban development in Hà Nội.

For the last ten years, under the new style rural area building programme, Hà Nội’s rural look has changed remarkably with improved infrastructure for both production and people’s daily life.

The incomes of people living in rural areas have also increased.

Particularly, in many rural areas across the city, the environmental landscape has been significantly improved with flower beds, tree-lined streets and murals, which help make the countryside more attractive and create tourism destinations for people to visit and enjoy.

In order to develop the rural economy, besides developing crops and livestock to serve the daily needs of people, Hà Nội also gave priority to flowers and ornamental plants as key agriculture products.

The city also paid more attention to boosting the linkage between production and consumption, offering support policies.

 As a result, flowers and ornamental plant growing areas in Hà Nội increased sharply from 5,484ha in 2015 to 7,960ha in 2020.

It has recognised 11 traditional craft villages of flowers and ornamental plants including the Cơ Giáo village; Xâm Xuyên village and Nội Thôn village in Thường Tín District; Hạ Lôi, Liễu Trì, Đại Bái villages in Mê Linh District; Phù Đổng village in Gia Lâm District, Tây Tựu flower village in Bắc Từ Liêm District, kumquat growing village in Tám Xá Commune of Đông Anh District, Nhật Tân flower village and Tứ Liên kumquat village in Tây Hồ District.

Until now, 70 per cent of flower and ornamental plant growing areas in Hà Nội are in districts of Bắc Từ Liêm, Mê Linh, Tây Hồ, Đan Phượng and Thường Tín.

With improved quality of seeds, farming technique and advanced technologies for water, light and temperature, growers could earn on average VNĐ0.5-1.5 billion per hectare per year. Many farming models could generate VNĐ1.3-2.2 billion per hectare per year.

Nguyễn Văn Chí, head of Hà Nội Rural Development Division under the city’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department addresses a workshop on flower and ornamental plant production in the city. — Photo courtesy of Hà Nội’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Nguyễn Văn Chí, head of Hà Nội Rural Development Division, said that under the city’s programme to increase the effectiveness of the new style rural area building programme and agricultural restructuring in the 2021-2025 period, the total areas for flowers and ornamental plants are expected to increase by 8,500-9,000ha.

The city also planned to plant more trees along streets and roads to ensure 8-10sq.m of green space for each person.

Chí said that flower and ornamental plant growing villages would also offer farming tourism experiences.

Chí added that in the future, the city would work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other localities to review and introduce support policies for flowers and ornamental plants.

People visit a store that displays craft and farming products in Hồng Vân Commune. The commune is aiming to become a tourist attraction in the city. — Photo courtesy of Hà Nội’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

The city asked relevant agencies and districts to make plans and arrange resources to boost its flower and ornamental plants industry.

“Flowers and ornamental plants would be key products to boost local economic development, improve the environment and speed up the implementation of the new style rural area building programme,” Chí said.

Flower and ornamental plants growers’ associations are called on to coordinate with State management agencies to evaluate the price of ornamental flowers, develop planting area codes, origin traceability, and establish a digital map of ornamental flowers which would help increase information transparency, Government management and supervision.

Associations, branches and artisans recommend local State management units in the development strategy of the flower and ornamental plant industry; materials for vocational training and encourage good artisans and managers to offer training as well as share experiences. — VNS