The An Giang Plant Protection Joint Stock Company (AGPPS) recently issued 2.48 million preferential shares to be sold to farmers in the Mekong Delta at half price in a bid to raise their position in agricultural production.

This is the first time Vietnamese farmers have had the opportunity to become the shareholders of the country’s leading company specialising in the agricultural sector.

More than 6,000 farmers will be able to buy each AGPPS share at the preferential price of 30,000 VND (1.4 USD) and are expected to enjoy an annual dividend of 30 percent.

Approved by the AGPPS Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in April, it is one of the company’s moves to support farmers, in addition to the provision of technical support and input materials plus ensuring the purchase of farm produce.

To help farmers sell their products, the company has built five rice processing plants and will complete the construction of 12 factories of the same kind, each with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes, in Mekong Delta provinces by 2018.-VNA