Agro-Forestry Still a Focus of Bac Kan Economic Development

Over the years, the agriculture of Bac Kan has made important breakthroughs that enable the province to overcome food shortages. Bac Kan agriculture has gradually shifted to production of some plants and animals that take advantages of the climate and ecological characteristics of the province to develop rural areas, as well as the processing industry and trade.

 

Bac Kan has framed up the plans for land use, on-growing regions of orange, tangerine, vermicelli, material plants for the wood processing industry; planning livestock, and fisheries.

At the same time, the province has many mechanisms and policies to encourage and support the farmers to produce and sell the brand-name products to enhance the competitiveness in the market, along with growing the forests to produce the wood products to enhance the economic value of the forest of Bac Kan in the period of 2016- 2020.

 

Along with restructuring of the agricultural sector towards higher value-added and sustainable development, the province encourages the development of commodity production and development of farms. Besides, the province encourages farmers to create more products from their land, gradually launching more agricultural products under the Bac Kan brand. The processing plants of agriculture and forestry have put the science and technology into practice, which improves the intensive crops and commodities as well product quality.

 

The province has given support to local crops with indigenous nature and high economic value such as seedless persimmon, citrus, taro, and vermicelli.

 

So far Bac Kan province has formed specialised cultivation areas of oranges, tangerines in Cho Don and Bach Thong, and of vermicelli in Ba Be and Na Ri. Along with the investment priorities of intensive production areas, Bac Kan has promoted some local products such as seedless persimmon, vermicelli, tangerines, and rice. Some processing plants have been newly established to attract some businesses and investors including SaHaBak JSC, Hoang Giang Co.,Ltd, and Quang Minh JSC.

 

Thanks to comprehensive and effective policies, Bac Kan province could supply enough food for its people and other lowland areas. Especially, it is the first time Bac Kan has made its own brand agricultural products like Quang Thuan Tangerine, Ngan Son seedless persimmon, and Ba Be and Na Ri vermicelli.

 

Due to the focus on developing commodity production, the Bac Kan farmers have made changes in their life. The poverty rate has decreased rapidly and sustainably, while incomes have improved, contributing to a better rural construction.

 

In 2010, poor households accounted for over 32.13 per cent of the province and by the end of 2015, it fell to 11.24 per cent and the per capita income reached VND24.4 million per person per year. Many farmers have become billionaires from growing oranges, tangerines, red vermicelli raw material and many workers have got jobs and earn a stable income.

 

The livestock sector towards commercial production of Bac Kan Province has made strong progress. Particularly, there have been 334 individuals and organisations building livestock farms, of which a farm of Cho Don District has been standardised under Circular 27/2011/TT-BNN of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Large-scale animal husbandry is one important solution to help Bac Kan people become wealthier. In many villages, trucks are owned by farmers who can access and apply science and technology in production.

 

Along with the economic development in the forestry, the province focuses on growing 32,500 hectares of new forest areas, including 15,000 hectares of large trees in the next 5 years. The province also addresses the difficulties and obstacles to urgently allocate forestry lands to the households to produce the materials used for the processing industry. Also, the province repairs and upgrades irrigation works in upcoming years to solidify the canals and inland transportation, and conducts research on suitable and high yield crops for agriculture as well as develops vocational training in the agricultural sector, encourages the development of economic sectors, and attracts large investments in agricultural production of high technology and clean agriculture and agro-processing.