Ca Mau (VNA) – The southernmost province of CaMau should develop agriculture, forestry and fisheries with a focus on shrimpfarming and processing, and sea- and forest-based economic activities, PartyGeneral Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has said.

At a working session with provincial officialson February 21, he highlighted local potential and advantages, includingfertile soil and a climate with the wet season and the dry season, which arefavourable for agriculture, forestry and aquaculture.

Two decades since the province’sre-establishment, Ca Mau has made encouraging strides when its urban and ruralareas have gained a facelift and the systems of roads, schools and clinics havebeen built, together with strong shifts seen in the economic structure, a sharpfall in the poverty rate and increasing budget collection.

However, the province is still facing an arrayof challenges as a result of poor transport infrastructure, heavy climatechange impacts, freshwater shortage, serious coastal erosion, and limitedcapital sources.

The Party leader asked Ca Mau officials to aligndevelopment plans with the local situation to capitalise on the province’sadvantages.

In the short term, Ca Mau should apply itself todeveloping sea-based economic activities, including offshore fishing whichneeds to be associated with national sovereignty safeguarding. It also needs todevelop wind and solar power while stepping up environmental protection,afforestation, and climate change response, he said.

To ensure resources for development, he toldprovincial authorities to encourage the participation of residents, businessesand the political system, and make use of assistance from ministries andcentral agencies.

They should provide favourable mechanisms,policies and conditions for attracting development resources, improve civilservants’ capacity, and enhance manpower training, the Party General Secretarynoted.

At the working session, he asked Ca Mau to payheed to the reinforcement of the Party and the political system, which must bedone in a regular, constant and drastic manner.

Local officials reported that in 2016, theprolonged drought and saltwater intrusion greatly affected productionactivities and people’s life in Ca Mau. However, the authorities and residentsmade efforts to overcome those difficulties and realise 16 of the 20 settargets.

The aquaculture area expanded to more than300,000ha, including over 278,000ha of shrimp farming. The total aquatic outputsurpassed 490,000 tonnes. The areas of harvested summer-autumn rice, sugar caneand crops, along with the numbers of farmed livestock and poultry, in 2016increased from the previous year. The rate of low-income households under themultidimensional poverty approach dropped to 7.96 percent.

On this occasion, General Secretary Trongoffered incense and planted a tree at a commemorative site dedicated to latePresident Ho Chi Minh in Ca Mau.

On February 20, he visited the culture park ofCa Mau Cape and inspected an embankment in Dat Mui commune of Ngoc Hiendistrict.

The visit to Ca Mau was part of his tour of someMekong Delta provinces to examine the implementation of socio-economicdevelopment and Party building tasks. -VNA