Inevitable trend

According to the Vietnam Organic Agriculture Association, Organic Agriculture production is becoming a modern trend in which North America and Europe are the two largest markets consumption the most organic agricultural products and the demand is growing, creates opportunities for the developing countries export their clean agricultural products into this market. Consumer sale of organic agriculture products worldwide are more than $ 59 billion / year, increase 3 times compared to 2000. In Dak Lak, agriculture is comprehensive development, food production and agricultural commodities is more and more increasingly, meet the demand of consumption and exports. However, because production is unstable and not sustainable, low competitiveness, unsold products create difficulties for farmers. Overuse of chemical fertilizers, plant protection chemicals has caused environmental pollution and degradated the agricultural products quality. Therefore, the development of sustainable ecological agriculture is an inevitable trend to improve product quality and minimize the negative impacts to public health and the environment. The orientation to develop the agriculture on producing goods for export, food safety issues as well as improving quality, meeting the requirements of the domestic and international markets will become more and more urgent. Currently, some key products of Dak Lak such as coffee, pepper, honey ... already have a certain position in the market; however, most of Dak Lak agricultural export commodities are crude, unprocessed, not high quality, so low added value. With the natural conditions of Dak Lak organic agriculture development in the up coming time will be an opportunity for the industrial plants, especially coffee, pepper...
 

Producing safety vegetable in Xuan Khanh Ward (TP. Buon Ma Thuot) toward the organic agriculture development

Huynh Quoc Thich, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the main purpose of organic agriculture production is to produce organic agriculture foods have high nutritional value, maintain and increase soil fertility, prevent pollution from farming minimize resource no resilience, less friendly to the environment and affect human health. However, there are many issues that we need to consider, such as the development of organic agriculture at what scale, what object; and more important is whether we can find a market or not? Along with these problems the consent and support of consumers, the State‘s support are key conditions.

The need to have support and encourage policies

Infact, organic agriculture is an opportunity for Dak Lak agriculture, especially when the agricultural price is fluctuating, quality and food safety has not been effectively controlled. However, there are still many challenges that farmers are not enthusiastic about this production method. In fact, organic agriculture sector in Dak Lak occupies a very small place, the process of farming production in accompliance with organic agriculture methods  need labor-intensive, and complex feats than the use of fertilizers , plant protection chemical ... has led many farmers hesitate to apply. In addition, the domestic market for organic agriculture products are not developed, the product of organic farming process not using chemical pesticides have not eye-catching form, cant attract the attention of consumers. Moreover, Vietnam has no national standards system and the legal framework for the production, certification and monitoring organic agriculture product quality, although in 2007 the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued the standard 10 / TCN602-2006 for organic products in Vietnam, but the standards are very general, have no specific guidelines for organic certification as a basis for the units of production, processing and other objects of interest made. Also, organic agriculture are also facing with a major challenge that is farmers neglect this type of production due to high production costs while low income because the market is unstable, moreover the poor quality management quality, consumer believe is not guaranteed.

Vegetable growers need support to produce under organic farming methods.

Mr. Huynh Quoc Thich said that to develop organic agriculture we need to create harmony between the cultivation, breeding, fisheries on the basis of a sustainable agriculture, in which organic agriculture production not "return to nature" or as a "organic agriculture indeed" (without any technology methods, fertilizer) but the agriculture based on high science and technology, with the advanced techniques  input, produce high quality products in a sustainable system, diversity crops and livestock. Organic agriculture production in Dak Lak just started up, so it should not be carried out massively, we must have the correct selection about product categories and product areas suitable with the market needs. Besides, farmers produce under organic agriculture also need the support of the State to expand the cultivation area, to access and to scale up market.

Source: daklak24.com