HCMC – Only about 7% of planned industrial land has been used over the past decade, sparking concerns over wasted resources, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung told the National Assembly on April 21.
Many localities registered large areas for industrial development but did not implement them, leading to inefficient land use, Hung was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as saying.
He said provinces should be cautious when proposing converting rice-growing land to industrial use, as registering projects without execution could result in wasted resources.
Under the national land use plan to 2030, with a vision to 2050 approved by the legislature, total rice-growing land is set at nearly 3.57 million hectares by 2030.
Hung cited data from industrial provinces such as Thai Nguyen and Bac Ninh, where 1,000 hectares of industrial land can attract about 100,000 workers.
In contrast, some northern midland and mountainous provinces have proposed up to 20,000 hectares of industrial land for 2030–2035. Developing that area would require around two million workers, a target that may be tough to achieve.
He said localities that expand industrial land plans without realistic capacity risk leaving land unused.
