Illustrative photo (Source: nongnghiep.vn)
Hau Giang (VNA) – The Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) project was launched in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang on February 24.
The project, part of the World Bank’s national cooperation strategy, was outlined by experts of the WB, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
It is implemented in 13 Central Highlands and Mekong Delta localities, including Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, An Giang, Can Tho, and Hau Giang, from 2015 to 2020 with a total capital of 301 million USD, of which 238 million USD came from the WB’s preferential loans.
The project’s objectives are to help promote agricultural restructuring through increasing the sector’s institutional capacity, renewing sustainable cultivation methods and raising the value chain for rice production in the Mekong Delta and coffee crops in the Central Highlands.
The project will be carried out on 200,000 hectares of rice with around 140,000 households using advanced technology in production. It is expected to bring additional value worth 40-60 million USD to the region each year.
Meanwhile, about 63,000 households in the Central Highlands will apply advanced technology in cultivation on 69,000 hectares of coffee, raising total profit by an estimated 48-50 million USD a year.
Additionally, the project can help reduce negative impact on the environment through less use of water for irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides.
In Hau Giang, the project will be implemented in Vi Thanh city, Long My town and Chau Thanh A, Phung Hiep, Vi Thuy and Long My districts, with a total investment of over 14 million USD.-VNA
