Science and technology have contributed greatly to raising farming productivity and product quality during the past five years, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat told the National Assembly’s Science, Technology and Environment Committee on April 8.

He stressed that Vietnam’s agricultural growth over recently years is attributable to rising productivity, not acreage expansion.

At the same time, he admitted that there is still a gap between scientific research and farmers’ needs, resulting in the slow development of high-tech agriculture.

He highlighted the need to adjust investment policies and mechanisms for agriculture in the direction of improving quality and added value, adding that Vietnam has advantages in terms of rice production and aquaculture, and the country should capitalize on these strengths in order to raise its competitiveness in the world market.

Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan also said scientists only focus on their own research direction without paying adequate attention to the real need of the agricultural sector. He cited the domestic husbandry sector’s dependence on imported animal feed as an example, saying that the problem has persisted for several decades but no scientist showed interest in seeking solutions for this issue.

A number of scientists and agricultural producers invited to the NA Committee’s meeting shared their views on how to strengthen the linkage between research and production in order to improve productivity and product quality.-VNA