Stronger links between firms, farmers bolster agriculture in Bac Ninh

Bac Ninh – Stronger links between farmers and businesses have raised agricultural production value and income for people in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

Ngam Mac village in the province’s Gia Binh district is a typical example.

The village has long practised cultivation of winter crops. However, for a long time, agricultural production in the locality developed in a spontaneous manner, resulting in low product prices when harvest is good.

Director of the Ngam Mac Agricultural Services Cooperative Nguyen Dac Thanh said with the assistance from authorities, the cooperative has recently built a model to grow chilli for exports in an area of nearly 20 ha, in cooperation with Vinh Cuu farm produce export-import company in Luong Tai district.

Under an agreement with local farmers, the company will provide them with seedlings and organic fertiliser and assign experts to help them in caring for the plants until harvest, and purchase the product at reasonable prices.

All participating households closely follow production process and enjoy high output with good quality, proving the effectiveness of the model and prompting the replication of it in the time to come, Thanh noted.

Director of Vinh Cuu company Nguyen Dat Cuu said the company has expanded its material farming area to over 120 ha since its establishment in 2013, adding that it will bolster partnership with the cooperative to expand the model in the future.

Vice Chairman of the agriculture and rural development association in Bac Ninh province Nguyen Xuan Vung said it is striving to reach out to businesses and call on farmers to switch to other crops with higher economic value.

Local farmers are advised to strengthen cooperation with businesses in a bid to ensure stable output and set up large-scale production areas applying scientific-technological achievements for sustainable agriculture, he added.