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Agricultural group wants bigger farms
A variety of proposals to improve the agricultural sector were raised at a seminar on farm development in HCM City last week.
Nguyen Van Minh, a member of the Viet Nam Association of Rural Farmer Enterpreneurs and Farm Owners (VARFEF), suggested that the Government change its policy on large landholdings to increase farm efficiency.
With small-scale farms, it was difficult to apply modern cultivation methods, resulting in lower output and high production costs, he said.
Currently, many farmers do not have enough arable land to expand their business.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has said that appropriate land use should be defined by the quality of the land and its suitability for certain crops.
MARD said local authorities should review the operations of existing farms and grant land-use right certificates to farm owners to assure them of their investment.
The ministry said the Government should exempt land rentals to farmers who work in barren and remote areas.
In addition, enterprises who invest in agricultural production need tax and credit incentives as well.
To lower costs to farmers, the association suggested that the Government help regulate the cost of input materials for farmers.
Provinces and cities should co-operate with schools and vocational training centres to offer courses for farmers, as well as transfer advanced technology, according to MARD.
In late 2007, the country had 116,062 farms nationwide, mostly in the Mekong Delta and the southeast region. About 8,600 farms are added each year.
VietNamNet, VNS
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