US Deputy Chief of Mission Claire Pierangelo made the affirmation atthe sixth annual seminar on biotechnology in agriculture, which wasco-organised by the US Embassy and the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment, in Hanoi on September 24.
Theimportance of biotechnology in increasing crop productivity, promotingsafer and greener farming environment, mitigating climate change impactsand ensuring food security was underscored by US and Vietnameseofficials present at the seminar.
Biotechnology isthe best solution to the creation of plant and animal varieties withhighest economic value as well as environmental protection, said TranXuan Dinh, Deputy Head of the Plantation Department of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development.
Vietnam wasurged to take concrete steps and measures and push ahead thebiotechnological application to deal with such challenges posed byclimate change as salt intrusion into rice farming areas, especially inthe Mekong Delta, the region most vulnerable to sea level rise.
Agricultural biotechnology application has been diversified in theworld in recent years, allowing more than 16 million farmers, ascalculated by 2011, to enjoy higher produce output and lower productioncost.-VNA