A farmer is harvesting hydroponic vegetables grown in a hothouse in Buon Ma Thuot city in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The development ofhigh-tech agriculture in Vietnam remains sluggish due to unplanned andsmall-scale production, and is not commensurate with the country’s comparativeadvantages and efforts.
So far, only 28 enterprises nationwide have beenrecognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) ashigh-tech businesses.
At a conference held on August 14 by the MARD inthe Central Highlands province of Lam Dong’s Da Lat city, participants agreedthat development of technology-based agriculture is essential for Vietnam’sagriculture sector to achieve greater value-added for export products, globalcompetitiveness and consistently high quality.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said over the past three decades ofrenovation, Vietnam has become self-sufficient in food with an annual export of30 billion USD, providing livelihoods for 10 million rural households andcontributing nearly 22 percent of the gross domestic product and 23-35 percentof exports.
However, the agricultural sector tends to growslowly due to spontaneous and small-scale production, limited technologicalapplication in agro-forestry-fisheries enterprises, and impacts of climatechange, environmental pollution and food hygiene, he said.
The Government has adopted various policies topromote the development of high-tech agriculture. In 2012, for example, thePrime Minister issued Decision 1895 approving implementation of an agriculturaldevelopment programme using high-tech applications.
The programme aims to promote the developmentand effective application of high technology in the agricultural sector,contributing to the development of a large-scale, modern, and highlycompetitive and comprehensive agriculture model.
It also targets an annual growth rate of over3.5 percent in the agricultural sector while ensuring national food security.
In 2015, the PM signed another decisionapproving the master plan to build 10 high-tech agricultural zones by 2020.
But in fact, by mid-2017, the whole country hasonly two high-tech agriculture zones, established in the southern provinces ofHau Giang and Phú Yên.
During the conference, participants hailed LamDong province for being on the way to becoming a model of high-tech farming.
The province has tremendous potential to attractmore foreign investment in high-tech agriculture due to its climate, land andproximity to the southern economic region.
By applying technology in cultivation, theaverage value of hydroponic vegetables grown in the province has reached 500million VND per hectare per year, and the value of flowers touches 1.2 billion VNDper hectare per year. The figures for tea and coffee are respectively 250million VND and 240 million VND per hectare per year.
Many farm produce of the province have beenexported.
However, according to Nguyen Van Son, Directorof the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, farmers andbusinesses engaged in high-tech agriculture in the province still face manydifficulties relating to land funds, shortage of investment, and access toinvestment capital.
A representative from the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment’s General Department of Land Management underscoredthe need to refine regulations on the rights of land users and issue policiesto encourage the rent of land use rights.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV),outstanding loans for high-tech farming amount to 177.4 billion VND (7.71million USD), but farmers are hard pressed to pay them back due to lack ofinformation about domestic and foreign consumption markets. The SBV directedcommercial banks to offer more loans and pledged all possible supportthroughout the process.
At the conference, the MARD presentedcertificates recognising DaLat Hasfarm and An Phu companies operating in Lam Dongas high-tech agricultural firms, and recognised Thai Phien high-techagricultural zone in the province.-VNA
So far, only 28 enterprises nationwide have beenrecognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) ashigh-tech businesses.
At a conference held on August 14 by the MARD inthe Central Highlands province of Lam Dong’s Da Lat city, participants agreedthat development of technology-based agriculture is essential for Vietnam’sagriculture sector to achieve greater value-added for export products, globalcompetitiveness and consistently high quality.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said over the past three decades ofrenovation, Vietnam has become self-sufficient in food with an annual export of30 billion USD, providing livelihoods for 10 million rural households andcontributing nearly 22 percent of the gross domestic product and 23-35 percentof exports.
However, the agricultural sector tends to growslowly due to spontaneous and small-scale production, limited technologicalapplication in agro-forestry-fisheries enterprises, and impacts of climatechange, environmental pollution and food hygiene, he said.
The Government has adopted various policies topromote the development of high-tech agriculture. In 2012, for example, thePrime Minister issued Decision 1895 approving implementation of an agriculturaldevelopment programme using high-tech applications.
The programme aims to promote the developmentand effective application of high technology in the agricultural sector,contributing to the development of a large-scale, modern, and highlycompetitive and comprehensive agriculture model.
It also targets an annual growth rate of over3.5 percent in the agricultural sector while ensuring national food security.
In 2015, the PM signed another decisionapproving the master plan to build 10 high-tech agricultural zones by 2020.
But in fact, by mid-2017, the whole country hasonly two high-tech agriculture zones, established in the southern provinces ofHau Giang and Phú Yên.
During the conference, participants hailed LamDong province for being on the way to becoming a model of high-tech farming.
The province has tremendous potential to attractmore foreign investment in high-tech agriculture due to its climate, land andproximity to the southern economic region.
By applying technology in cultivation, theaverage value of hydroponic vegetables grown in the province has reached 500million VND per hectare per year, and the value of flowers touches 1.2 billion VNDper hectare per year. The figures for tea and coffee are respectively 250million VND and 240 million VND per hectare per year.
Many farm produce of the province have beenexported.
However, according to Nguyen Van Son, Directorof the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, farmers andbusinesses engaged in high-tech agriculture in the province still face manydifficulties relating to land funds, shortage of investment, and access toinvestment capital.
A representative from the Ministry of NaturalResources and Environment’s General Department of Land Management underscoredthe need to refine regulations on the rights of land users and issue policiesto encourage the rent of land use rights.
According to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV),outstanding loans for high-tech farming amount to 177.4 billion VND (7.71million USD), but farmers are hard pressed to pay them back due to lack ofinformation about domestic and foreign consumption markets. The SBV directedcommercial banks to offer more loans and pledged all possible supportthroughout the process.
At the conference, the MARD presentedcertificates recognising DaLat Hasfarm and An Phu companies operating in Lam Dongas high-tech agricultural firms, and recognised Thai Phien high-techagricultural zone in the province.-VNA
