The Provincial Agricultural Extension Center supports a safe pineapple intensive farming model in Lom Lau village, Chieng On commune, Quynh Nhai district.

With the central and provincial budgets, the Agricultural Extension Center has implemented 47 types of agricultural extension models on growing food crops, industrial crops, fruit trees and forestry, with over 26,000 households participating. Typical examples include the SRI improved rice intensive farming model; safe vegetable production, off-season vegetables; grafting and renovating fruit orchards, intensive cultivation of late-ripening longan, grafting and renovating early-ripening longan to spread the crop; intensive cultivation of mangoes according to VietGAP standards; Yen Chau banana value chain; planting and intensive cultivation of Chieng Co tangerines; combined agricultural and forestry models on sloping land; intensive cultivation of macadamia, green giổi, Acacia auriculiformis, etc.

“Building and developing the 205 golden longan model according to VietGAP standards” is one of the typical models jointly implemented by the National Agricultural Extension Center and Son La province in the period 2023-2025. Up to now, the model has provided seedlings, supported new planting of 3 hectares and provided grafted eyes to improve 4 hectares with golden longan varieties, and built parent gardens in Mai Son, Song Ma districts and Son La city.

Mr. Pham Anh Hong, sub-zone 17, Hat Lot town, Mai Son district, shared: In 2023, with the support of the project, his family grafted and renovated 1.3 hectares of longan garden with the 205 golden longan variety. With the support of agricultural extension officers in providing technical guidance, the family's longan garden developed well, with the survival rate of grafted buds reaching over 90%.

Within the framework of the Central project for the period 2022-2024 "Building a fruit tree production model according to VietGAP, serving the development of raw material areas associated with consumption linkage in some Northwestern provinces", the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center has deployed 5 models to support intensive fruit tree cultivation according to VietGAP standards, including 20 hectares of mango, 5 hectares of passion fruit and 20 hectares of pineapple, contributing to improving the quality and value of agricultural products of the province.

With the support of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, Song Ma Mango Agricultural Service Cooperative has successfully implemented a safe mango intensive farming model according to VietGAP standards. Mr. Nguyen Van Vuong, Director of the Cooperative, shared: This year, despite unfavorable weather and drought right when mangoes were flowering and fruiting, thanks to the correct application of technical processes and the use of fruit bags, the Cooperative's 10 hectares of mangoes still achieved a yield of 20 tons/ha and were granted VietGAP certification. Not only meeting domestic consumption standards but also exporting to the Chinese market, bringing in revenue of about 1.4 billion VND.

Ms. Cam Thi Tham, Deputy Director of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, assessed: Agricultural extension models focus on transferring advanced farming techniques that are suitable for local conditions. In addition, the effective combination of demonstration and training models helps raise awareness and positively change farmers' thinking and farming practices, thereby promoting the application of science and technology in agricultural production. Agricultural extension models also spread and develop into concentrated specialized production areas, meeting market demand, bringing economic efficiency and increasing farmers' income.

In addition, the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center focuses on building sustainable agricultural production models that are environmentally friendly and ensure safety for public health, applying VietGAP, GlobalGAP standards and organic production, contributing significantly to improving the quality and reputation of local agricultural products. Up to now, the whole province has planted over 84,000 hectares of fruit trees and hawthorn trees; there are 5 high-tech agricultural areas; more than 2,700 hectares of crops meeting good agricultural production standards; more than 8,200 hectares of organic production; 280 safe food supply chains; 28 products with trademark protection and 151 OCOP products...

Based on practical local needs, promoting the advantages of each region and each crop, in line with the development orientation and restructuring of the province's agricultural sector, Son La Agricultural Extension has been and is continuing to build effective agricultural extension models, helping farmers increase their income, improve their lives, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the province.

Phan Trang