Agricultural restructuring requires stronger connection

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has said closer links between relevant agencies and localities is needed for the agricultural restructuring process to succeed.
 

Photo for Illustration (Photo: Thai Thien).

Deputy PM Hai stated on May 19 at a meeting of a committee on agricultural restructuring that leaders responsible for agricultural matters should change their mindset to bring about radical changes to the sector.

He acknowledged that although Vietnam’s agriculture has moved from subsistence farming to commodity production, it is still less efficient than expected and fails to increase the income of farmers substantially.

The deputy prime minister said as Vietnam is accelerating its integration into the world economy, farmers and agricultural firms need to join forces to deal with growing pressure from foreign competitors.

Meanwhile banks should increase their lending to farmers, and agriculture and trade ministries ought to enhance their forecast capacity to help farmers select appropriate crops.

Deputy PM Hai also emphasised the role of technology in agriculture, especially the selection of strains and post-harvest processing, as a way to add more value to Vietnam’s agricultural products.

According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, the sector posted a growth rate of 3.49% last year, exceeding the government target of 3.27%.

However, restructuring results have not yet come into fruition and growth is unsustainable, admitted Phat, stating that growth in the first quarter of 2015 was the lowest in three years as the market experienced unpredictability.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)