Farmers in Moc Chau district are investing in netting to protect plum trees from hailstorms in the Na Ka plum valley.

High-tech agricultural zones

Notably, nearly 400 hectares of mango orchards belonging to Ngoc Lan Cooperative and 612 households in Hat Lot and Chieng Mung communes and Hat Lot town have been recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as applying high technology in conjunction with tourism development.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Director of Ngoc Lan Cooperative, happily stated: "The cooperative has 52 member households, currently cultivating 60 hectares of mangoes that have been granted export-oriented growing area codes. The cooperative and its members have invested in and applied automated water-saving irrigation technology to 65.9% of the area, minimizing production costs. The mango growing area of ​​the cooperative and its members has just been recognized as a high-tech mango growing area, opening up opportunities for convenient production and consumption, helping people to prosper from mango cultivation."

In Yen Chau district, at the beginning of 2025, farmers in Phieng Khoai, Long Phieng, and Chieng Hac communes received good news when three mango, longan, and plum growing areas were recognized as high-tech production zones with a total area of ​​over 1,000 hectares.

Developing high-tech agriculture, Son La province has built and formed many good models and practices in production, enhancing product value, such as: models for early-ripening plums and longan, off-season safe vegetables, models for caring for fruit trees, tea, and coffee according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards; models for growing custard apples and strawberries... generating income from several hundred million to billions of VND/hectare/year. Many cooperatives and households have applied scientific and technical advancements in production, especially pruning, fruit bagging, investing in greenhouses, water-saving irrigation systems, and automatic irrigation, creating high-quality fruit products that meet market demands...

Typically, the Noọng Piêu Agricultural Products Cooperative in Phiêng Khoài commune is one of the cooperatives with a plum growing area recognized as a high-tech agricultural zone. Ms. Bùi Phương Thanh, Deputy Director of the Cooperative, shared: The cooperative has 30.5 hectares. To improve the quality of plums, the cooperative encourages members to apply scientific and technical advancements in production, especially to produce high-quality plums. During the production process, 30-50% of the yield is pruned, and branches and fruits are thinned to retain only the best fruits at the tips of the branches.

Farmers in Phiêng Khoài commune, Yên Châu district, are applying automatic irrigation technology to their plum trees.

Furthermore, Ruby plum production focuses on techniques to control fruit development at the main trunk and first-level branches. This results in larger fruit, better appearance, and higher quality compared to fruit grown on fourth and fifth-level branches. Simultaneously, a comprehensive approach combining pruning, fertilization, irrigation, and girdling is employed to care for and enhance the fruit's color. In 2024, the cooperative was the first in the province to export 10 tons of Ruby plums to several EU countries: the UK, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. With their beautiful appearance and high quality, Ruby plums fetched prices ranging from 70,000 to 120,000 VND/kg. In 2024, the cooperative's Ruby plums achieved a 4-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating in the province.

Son La province has recognized 9 high-tech agricultural zones, including: 2 tea and dairy farming zones in Moc Chau district; 2 coffee zones, 1 custard apple zone, and 1 mango zone in Mai Son district; and 3 longan, plum, and mango zones in Yen Chau district. In 2024, the province's total agricultural, forestry, and fisheries output reached 8,687 billion VND. Income per hectare of land cultivated using high technology increased by 1.5-2 times or more compared to traditional farming. The entire province has 5,596 hectares of crops applying VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and equivalent good agricultural practices.

Building a modern, smart agriculture.

In implementing the objectives of the Resolution of the 15th Congress of the Son La Provincial Party Committee for the 2020-2025 term on developing high-tech, clean, and organic agriculture, Son La province has focused on restructuring agriculture in a substantive and effective manner, exploiting and promoting the potential and advantages of each region.

The mango growing area in Hat Lot commune, Mai Son district, has been recognized as a high-tech agricultural zone.

Mr. Lu Van Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Chau District, informed: Following the province's policy, the District Party Committee has issued a plan for the development of high-tech agriculture until 2025. It is mobilizing organizations and individuals to invest in high-tech and organic agricultural programs and projects. It is also promoting investment in mechanization and modernization of equipment; and comprehensively and synchronously applying techniques to produce the district's key agricultural products in a sustainable manner that does not harm the environment.

In 2024, the value of harvested products per unit area in Yen Chau district reached 60 million VND/ha; approximately 7,200 hectares of fruit trees applied high technology, accounting for 60% of the total fruit tree area in the district; over 1,666 hectares of fruit trees were granted planting area codes and certified for production according to VietGAP standards, accounting for 14.3% of the total fruit tree area in the district; and about 90% of the cultivated area was produced in accordance with technical procedures.

The development of high-tech agricultural production zones represents a breakthrough, rapidly shifting from traditional agriculture based on the exploitation of limited resources and small-scale production to high-quality, large-scale agriculture based on the application of science and technology. Building high-tech agricultural production zones also contributes to job creation, increased income for people in production areas, and the development of new rural areas. More importantly, agricultural products are geared towards meeting criteria of cleanliness and safety for consumers' health.

Mr. Vu Tien Dinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: The Department continues to advise the province on implementing comprehensive solutions for building, managing, and using planting area codes; supporting and guiding cooperatives and farmers to develop crops applying good agricultural production processes and equivalent standards; increasing the area and products meeting VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards for domestic consumption and export. It also aims to enhance the capacity for research, application, and transfer of science and technology, especially high technology, biotechnology, and environmentally friendly technologies.

At the same time, review and adjust production planning towards crops with high economic value, competitive advantages, and suitable conditions. Localities should promote the development of concentrated agricultural production areas applying high technology and organic farming, linked with the development of ecotourism; for crops that do not yet have the conditions for immediate application, focus on forming stable production chains with export businesses and processing plants to receive support from businesses.

With the achievements made, Son La's agriculture promises to develop strongly in a modern and sustainable direction, making a significant contribution to poverty reduction and the building of a more prosperous new rural Son La.

Source: Son La Newspaper