Expanding area of winter crops

One of the main reasons for the high value of the 2019 winter crop is the transfer from low value into high value crops such as medicinal plants, root vegetables, fruits, high-quality vegetables, corns, high-quality flowers and ornamental plants. Notably, many localities have boosted the production in membrane and net houses in association with preliminary treatment and processing to ensure food safety and hygiene, contributing to increasing economic efficiency per area. In particular, many production models in the winter crop have brought about high incomes, such as the linkage between enterprises and farmers in cauliflower growing with an area of 585 hectares in Tu Ky, Ninh Giang, Binh Giang and Nam Sach districts and Chi Linh City in Hai Duong; and the vegetable production in net houses in Tu Son Commune, Kien Thuy District (Hai Phong City), with the economic efficiency reaching VND244 million per hectare per crop.

With a short production time, variety of crops, stable consumption market and high income value, many localities have identified winter as the main production season. In addition, winter crops are less affected by natural disasters and pests than rice production; therefore, if the production was arranged well, the value can reach VND200-200 million per hectare per crop.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is striving for the cultivation area in the northern provinces to reach 430-450 hectares in the winter crop of 2020, an increase of 10% - 15% in output compared to last year. Accordingly, the localities will focus on the development of high-value crops with contracts of product consumption for farmers. The output is expected at 4.6-4.9 million tonnes (up 10%-15% over the 2019 season) with a value of around VND34.2-36.6 trillion.

To achieve the set plans, the localities should have mechanisms and policies suitable to specific conditions in the localities to support farmers. It is crucial to focus on trade promotion, seeking markets and encouragement of enterprises to sign contracts of product consumption; as well as supporting localities with large winter crop areas, branding and traceability.The relevant agencies should also provide people with financial support in buying seeds for production, especially new varieties to help increase productivity, yield and economic efficiency; and develop and replicate application models towards safe food production.

The localities need to review and adjust the appropriate plan for planting areas; boost plot consolidation and exchange to form concentrated production area and create favourable condition for application of mechanisation, technological and technical advances. It is essential to drain water early, quickly harvest summer-autumn rice and begin the season early to ensure thecultivation time for the winter crop. A linkage chain from the production to processing and ensuring a stable consumption market is necessary. In addition, the provinces and cities should build an appropriate crop structure to avoid the situation ofmany localities planting a kind of cultivated crop, causing the risk of oversupply of agricultural products.