Entrepreneurs from Can Tho and Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture gathered at a seminar in the Mekong Delta city on July 16 to seek cooperation in agriculture and environment protection.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung said Can Tho wishes to join hands with Japan and Hiroshima prefecture in particular in applying high technology to farming, breeding, animal quarantine and irrigational work management in order to increase productivity and product quality.

The city hopes for investment in many fields, including urban infrastructure, and waste water treatment, Dung stated.

The two sides exchanged experience in agricultural production, particularly in processing by-products of rice such as bran and straw into useful products with high economic efficiency.

Japanese businesses suggested Can Tho authorities to select varieties carefully and use safe production and processing technology in order to meet the strict requirement from the Japanese market.

As of 2013, Japan had provided about 120 million USD in non-refundable aid and technical assistance for more than 25 agricultural projects and 450 million USD in loans for four irrigational and forestry projects in Vietnam, helping the country develop the agricultural sector sustainably and upgrade its infrastructure.

Japan now runs 13 industrial projects in Can Tho with 9.1 million USD being disbursed.

Last year, Can Tho exported agricultural and aquatic products worth 155 million USD to Japan, while spending 29.5 million USD importing machinery and equipment from the country.-VNA