The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will continue to assist northern mountainous areas of Vietnam in the research of improved rice varieties and other support programmes to ensure food security.

FAO Chief Representative in Vietnam Andrew Speedy made the pledge at a review meeting on the two-year implementation of a project on building capacity for mountainous farmers to produce high quality seeds of conventional rice varieties in Phu Tho on October 17.

With a FAO-provided finance of 257,000 USD, the project was implemented by the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute since October 2007 in eight communes of 8 districts of four provinces of Ha Giang, Bac Kan , Yen Bai and Phu Tho.

It focused on building capacity for researchers, agricultural facilitators and local authorities as well as farmers, transferring farming methods to improve the yield and quality of crops as well as preservation measures and providing technical assistance and production tools.

Director of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Van Minh, said new rice varieties such as the BT13 has helped increase production yield by 1.5-2.5 tonnes per hectare (equivalent to 392-560 USD/ ha).

In addition, local farmers have become able to produce rice seeds for next crops so they no longer have to depend on Chinese-bred rice seeds, which are sold at higher prices, Minh added.

After two years’ implementation, the project held 34 training courses on intensive cultivation practices and improved rice breeding for over 1,300 people./.