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Ministry orders farmers not to expand areas under cultivation
Farmers across the country have been told by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) not to expand areas for cultivating and producing seafood, coffee, cashew nuts and pepper this year.
The instructions, released at a seminar in HCM City yesterday, aim to prevent the oversupply of farm produce which now exceeds demand.
At the "Prospect of the Viet Nam Farm Produce Market 2009" seminar, the ministry asked farmers to focus on intensive farming to increase output and improve quality instead.
MARD commented that the current woes facing the world's economy would certainly influence the export of Vietnamese agricultural products.
Under the critical situation, MARD targets a growth rate of 2.8 per cent for the country's agricultural production in 2009.
To reach this target, the ministry will take measures to expand the overseas markets for Vietnamese products and to re-structure the country's farm produce to meet the demand of customers at these markets.
The ministry also asked relevant authorities to focus on campaigns on an agricultural development stimulus, to create more employment opportunities for residents in rural areas.
MARD said agricultural growth would contribute significantly to the country's GDP growth rates.
Dr. Dang Kim Son, head of the MARD's Institute for Policies and Strategies for Agricultural and Rural Development, said despite insufficient investment, the agricultural sector had always taken the lead in contributing to socio-economic development.
According to the institute's figures, investment for the country's agricultural development in the past 10 years was very low, only 3.2 per cent of the nation's total investment for development.
Despite the impact of the global recession, in 2008 Viet Nam's agricultural sector attained a growth rate of 3.79 per cent.
The seminar was held by the Institute for Policies and Strategies for Agricultural and Rural Development in co-ordination with the Food and Agriculture Organisation office in Viet Nam.
VietNamNet, Viet Nam News
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