Kon Tum spurs high-tech agriculture development

Land in Kon Tum is more than suitable for various types of fruit, vegetables, and herbs

Mang Den was initially an area planned for tourism development, but is now specialising in growing high-tech agricultural products, helping it to attract many domestic and foreign investors.

Several high-tech agricultural projects have been granted investment decisions for implementation in the area.

This includes a project on high-tech agricultural production combined with eco-tourism in Kon Plong district, a joint venture between Kon Plong Agri-Tourism Vietnam and 4 Ways Fresh Pty., Ltd., from Australia, and an organic farm project on par with international standards of BIOPAP Co., Ltd.

The Standing Committee of Kon Tum’s Party Committee has issued a resolution on developing high-tech agriculture associated with processing, with Mang Den the focus of the resolution. Along with that, in the period 2021-2030, it encompasses expanding Kon Plong District High-tech Agricultural Park to 300 hectares, building and executing projects such as Mang Den High-tech Agriculture Area on a scale of 100-150ha, and planting areas for coldwater vegetables, flowers, and fruit to 3,000ha.

Nguyen Van Ban, chairman of Mang Den Flower and Vegetable Co-operative said, “The land here is suitable for many different types of vegetables and flowers. The co-operative grows vegetables and flowers of all kinds, showing good yield and quality.”

Currently, high-tech agricultural development, Ngoc Linh ginseng, and other medicinal herbs associated with value chain links and brand development are identified as the three breakthroughs for Kon Tum in 2019. Therefore, localities have been carrying out many practical activities to make use of the area’s potential and advantages.

Kon Tum People’s Committee recently told VIR that to promote high-tech application, the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is working with the districts of Dak Ha, Kon Plong, and Kon Tum City to survey, formulate, and put into operation eight high-tech agricultural zones. To receive funding from the provincial budget and capital injection from the National Target Programme on New Rural Development in 2019, it is important to build up production links associated with high-tech application in the production and processing of key products in the province, the committee said.

In the time to come, the province will focus on encouraging people to invest in high-tech applications in agricultural production, mobilising capital from the national target programme and other sources to invest in building infrastructure for agricultural development, and expediting pharmaceutical projects in the province associated with the value chain.

It will also place importance on carrying out research and building nurseries for medicinal herbs in the province to supply medicinal seed sources for organisations and individuals involved in the development of medicinal materials, firstly in the districts of Dak Glei, Tu Mo Rong, and Kon Plong.

Nguyen Van Hung, Secretary of the Kon Tum Party Committee, said that developing high-tech agricultural production associated with processing is a long-term strategical task of the province, creating breakthroughs in agricultural production, environmentally-friendly agricultural products with high productivity, and improving the competitiveness of the provincial agricultural production in the process of international integration.

At the Conference on Development of Ngoc Linh Ginseng and other medicinal herbs held in September 2018 in Kon Tum, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc praised Ngoc Linh ginseng, calling it “a national treasure.”

He stated that in leveraging the real potential and market demand, Vietnam has the capacity to develop the Ngoc Linh ginseng processing industry in the country.