Technological development can drive agricultural restructuring: official
Vietnam should capitalise on advancements in technology to restructure its agriculture based on three key pillars, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan on July 12.
Scene at the seminar (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)
Tuan made the suggestion as part of his opening remarks at a seminar on the visions of and solutions to a smart and sustainable system of agriculture, which was held in Hanoi and participated in by representatives of the Government, relevant organisations, and enterprises, as well as expert and scientists in Vietnam and abroad.
According to the official, the first pillar is the application of technology, particularly high-tech, to agricultural production on a larger scale. The second is promoting the reorganisation of agricultural production towards forming supply chains, with enterprises placed at the centre, and towards allocating support from farmers and cooperatives in terms of supply, technological application, origin tracing, and trademark building. The third covers serious and practical institutional reform, making business climate transparent, and improving competitiveness to boost domestic and international investment in agriculture.
He said Vietnam exported 36.4 billion USD worth of farm produce in 2017 and the figure is likely to reach 40 billion USD this year. The official also pointed out some of the shortcomings of agricultural development in Vietnam, which include products falling short of potential, scattered production, low value added farm produce, and the low rate of technological application.
Tuan stressed that the seminar welcomes opinions in search of measures helping Vietnam take part in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly in smart agriculture.
The results of the seminar will become a reference point for the policymaking process related to smart agriculture building in Vietnam, he noted.
Participants suggested various ideas surrounding high-tech application in agriculture, which include a smart agriculture management system and a policy on upgrading the value chain of rice towards sustainability and climate change adaptation in the Mekong Delta region.
They also talked about cloud computing and clean energy in farming, while sharing Japan’s experience in managing smart agriculture.
The seminar was one of the activities at the ongoing two-day Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo 2018, held in Hanoi under the theme of “Vision and Development Strategy in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”./.
VNA
