Hanoi wishes for Israel’s cooperation in hi-tech farming

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi wants Israeli firms who always pioneer in applying science and technology in agricultural production to cooperate with and support the city in hi-tech farming.

The statement was made by Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Doan Toan at a November 7 conference co-held by the committee and the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam as part of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

Israel is a country that possesses a modern and creative agriculture sector that has made significant achievements, given the country’s harsh natural conditions such as lack of fresh water and high desertification.

“Therefore, Hanoi wishes to receive Israel support in the field so that it can soon fulfill its goal of becoming an agricultural production and consumption centre in the region as well as a leading farm produce exporter,” he said.

According to the municipal official, in recent years, the city has enhanced the application of technologies in producing, storing and processing agricultural products, but the work has remained modest.

There are still few hi-tech agriculture projects in the city while post-harvest products haven’t been stored and processed in the way that meets local authorities’ requirements, he noted.

The capital city’s authorities have planned to develop a local hi-tech agriculture industry with selection of appropriate technologies for production and processing so that the products are safe and high-quality.

At the same time, the city will develop its supply chains, markets and commercial centres to become one of the leading distribution and export units in both domestic and international markets, he added.

At the event, representatives from Israeli businesses shared their experience in hi-tech application in farming.

“We want to bring our vast know-how to Vietnam and help local producers achieve more quality products and find farther destination for exports,” said Ilan London, Israel-based Decco’s international sales manager.

“We are thinking of mutual partnerships. Our know-how and technologies are very unique and we have solutions and technologies for all kinds of fruit and vegetables,” Ilan said, adding that his firm is able to increase the added values in Vietnam to make the market better.

Golan Argaman, CEO of Sheffa from Israel, said he is happy to make new partnerships during the conference and he expects to find someone who understands the concept of his business and help local farmers cut costs and raise revenues.

“We look for cooperation between farmers, cooperatives and big farming companies that can help each other build factories and manufacturers here in Vietnam,” he said.

The potential of Vietnam is much larger than what has been achieved, according to Dov Avital, business innovation manager of dripping tech Metzer Group.

The Southeast Asian nation has many highland terrains that make it harder for farmers to water the fields and preserve water from flowing elsewhere, Dov said.

“We bring the dripping technology to Vietnam to change the situation. We can keep the environment clean, re-use the water and keep it for a long-time production,” he said.-VNA