Foreign direct investment in the agriculture, forestry and seafood sectors has fallen in recent years, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the last 25 years, the three sectors have seen only 496 foreign-invested projects, with a combined registered capital of 3.2 billion USD, which accounted for only 1.5 percent of total registered capital in the country.

The number of projects in the three sectors represented a mere 3.3 percent of the country's total FDI projects.

During this period, the FDI projects in the three sectors dispersed a total capital of 1.7 billion USD, accounting for 2.2 percent of the total dispersed capital of the country's FDI projects.

High risks from natural disasters, small-scale production and low profits were the major reasons for lack of interest from investors, according to the ministry.

Most of the recent projects have focused on importing, exporting and distributing agricultural produce, rather than cultivation.

Poor infrastructure is another problem facing the agricultural sector.

Although the sector provides jobs for more than 50 percent of the country's labour force, it accounted for only 10 percent of the country's total investment capital.

To attract investors, the ministry said it planned to develop new policies that will call for investment in high-tech agriculture, forestry and seafood production. A new plan to 2020 will be drawn up as well.

More than 30 countries and territories, mostly from Asia, have invested in the country's agriculture, seafood and forestry sectors.

The country’s socio-economic development in the years under the renewal process proved agriculture continues to play a key role and serves as a mainstay of the national economy.

Therefore, speeding up the attraction of FDI into the agriculture sector need to be seen as a key task.-VNA