Dong Thap Party Secretary Visits, Holds Working Session with Provincial Bird’s Nest Association

(DTO) On the afternoon of August 4, Mr. Ngo Chi Cuong, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Dong Thap Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, visited and held a working session with the Dong Thap Bird’s Nest Association.

Joining the delegation were Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Phuoc Thien, along with leaders of provincial departments and agencies.

At the meeting, the association reported that Dong Thap has continued to assert its position as one of the leading localities in the Mekong Delta for swiftlet farming, with more than 2,500 swiftlet houses.

Following the merger of administrative units, the province's swiftlet farming industry has continued to expand rapidly. Swiftlet houses are now found throughout the province, from the border commune of Thuong Phuoc to the coastal area of Go Cong. The association currently has more than 60 official members, and all edible bird’s nests produced by its members are purchased by businesses.

Despite its growth, the local bird’s nest industry continues to face a number of challenges. To support its sustainable development, the association proposed that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Thap Province admit it as a member organization to maximize its representative role for the industry. It also recommended that the Department of Agriculture and Environment enhance state management by assigning a representative to participate in the association's Executive Committee.

The association further urged the Provincial People's Committee to recommend that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment tighten controls on the illegal import of bird’s nests, while calling on the Department of Construction and relevant agencies to provide guidance and support for legal procedures related to swiftlet houses.

After listening to the report and the association's recommendations, leaders of the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments responded to the issues raised and affirmed their commitment to creating favorable conditions for the industry's development.

Speaking at the meeting, Secretary Ngo Chi Cuong noted that, following the provincial merger, Dong Thap now possesses significant potential for developing the bird’s nest industry by inheriting the well-established swiftlet farming region of the former Tien Giang Province, particularly the Go Cong area, while expanding production across the former Dong Thap localities.

He said the bird’s nest industry has already contributed to the province's economic growth and has been identified in provincial resolutions and action programmes as one of the priority agricultural sectors for future development.

Looking ahead, the Party Secretary instructed the Department of Construction to study and advise on specific guidelines that would enable residents in designated planning areas to obtain permits for building swiftlet houses. At the same time, he called on the Bird’s Nest Association to work closely with regulatory authorities to strengthen traceability for its members' products, not only to meet export requirements but also to enhance transparency in the domestic market.

He also urged the province and the association to recommend that central authorities strengthen the management of imported bird’s nest raw materials to prevent products of unknown origin from undermining the reputation of the domestic industry.

Secretary Ngo Chi Cuong further instructed relevant agencies to develop scientific research projects through the Department of Science and Technology to better clarify the value of edible bird’s nests. Meanwhile, enterprises were encouraged to invest in deep processing and apply science and technology to develop new, higher-value products.

Regarding the association's proposals, he said several initiatives could be implemented immediately, including joining the Vietnam Fatherland Front, coordinating with government agencies to organize seminars and training courses, and promoting bird’s nest products.

He emphasized that the industry's immediate priorities should be to advance product traceability, scientific research, technological innovation and new product development, with the primary goal of asserting the brand, followed by asserting product quality.

By M. THANH
Translated by X.QUANG