VĨNH LONG – Vĩnh Long Province targets economic growth of at least 8 per cent this year after an excellent first half.

Speaking at a recent People’s Council session, chairman of its committee, Nguyễn Minh Dũng, said: “Thanks to the strong leadership of Party committees at all levels, the decisive action of the People’s Committee and the efforts of local people and businesses, the province achieved positive socio-economic results in the first half of the year.”

The economy grew at 7.49 per cent during the period, agriculture by 2.93 per cent, industry by 12.44 per cent, and services by 8.74 per cent.

Revenues were nearly VNĐ12.2 trillion ($465 million), or 56.8 per cent of the full-year target.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province also completed its programme to eliminate makeshift and dilapidated housing, handing over new homes to 6,530 needy households.

Poverty reduction and other social welfare efforts and support for ethnic minorities were also implemented effectively.

Following the merger of Trà Vinh and Bến Tre provinces with Vĩnh Long, the province streamlined the administrative system without disruption.

It launched pilot one-stop service centres in newly established wards and communes to serve the public and businesses.

The province is restructuring various sectors, with a focus on transforming crop and livestock structures and expanding value chain models for agricultural products.

Agricultural restructuring

Vĩnh Long is accelerating comprehensive restructuring of its agriculture sector to support economic growth.

Lâm Văn Tân, director of its Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the province is targeting growth of 3.57 per cent for the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector this year and overall economic growth of at least 8 per cent.

To achieve this goal, it would enhance restructuring towards efficiency and sustainability, and promote green, organic and circular agriculture and high-tech farming, he said.

It would develop modern, multi-value agricultural production with high productivity and competitiveness based on local advantages, he added.

In livestock farming, it aims to stabilise numbers by year-end at 560,250 head of cattle, 894,400 pigs and 25.61 million poultry birds.

It is promoting large-scale, organic and biosafe livestock farming, with supply chain linkages to ensure food safety and economic efficiency.

In aquaculture, it targets output of 531,900 tonnes in the second half of the year, including 400,000 tonnes from farming and 131,900 tonnes from catches.

Local authorities will strengthen guidance for farmers on breeding schedules and support them with managing farming areas and reducing environmental pollution.

Rice farmers are being instructed to grow the autumn-winter crop on schedule and prepare properly for the 2025–26 winter-spring crop.

The province is also expanding models under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s “Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Associated with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030” programme.

For short-term crops, it will expand farming areas suited to local conditions, rotate other crops on rice paddies, promote concentrated farming, and adopt high-tech and good agricultural practices (GAP) and organic standards.

In the case of perennial crops, the province will use high-quality, disease-resistant varieties and promote sustainable farming with tighter control over inputs.

It is strengthening partnerships with businesses to ensure product consumption and implementing coordinated pest and disease control measures, especially for fruit and coconut trees.

The province has more than 222,000ha under perennial crops, including nearly 120,000ha of coconut, accounting for about 50 per cent of the country’s total.

Tân said in recent years crop production has shifted in line with the province’s agricultural restructuring goals, with a reduction in rice cultivation and increase in fruit farming, a trend that is set to continue. — BIZHUB/VNS