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Delta to restructure agriculture sector
The Southwest Region Steering Committee says the agriculture sector in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta needs to be restructured in order to address several shortcomings and ensure sustainable development.
The committee is working with other agencies on the mechanisms and policies for developing three key agricultural products – rice, seafood and fruits.
The committee held a meeting on the issue in Can Tho City on Monday with Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission.
Other important suggestions that the committee made at the meeting included the increase of Government investment capital for major climate change adaptation projects.
It also mooted a new State-owned seafood corporation that would help reduce risk for farmers.
The steering committee reported at the meeting that the Mekong Delta, the country's largest producer of rice, fish and fruits, had achieved an economic growth rate of 9 per cent in the first half of the year.
During this period, total investment capital from all sectors reached VND88.9 trillion (US$4.2 billion), up 12.5 per cent against the same period last year.
The delta's export value reached $4.7 billion, a rise of 10.6 per cent year-on-year, the committee said.
It conceded, however, that the region was suffering from several shortcomings, evidenced by difficulties in production, low prices and lack of stable outlets for agriculture produce.
Investment and trade promotion in the Delta have not met targets and the programme of building new rural areas in many provinces lags far behind schedule.
Hue said he agreed with the committee that the agriculture sector should be restructured to ensure the Delta's development.
He asked the committee to work closely with the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission in accomplishing this task.
To solve current difficulties faced by rice and tra fish farmers, the steering committee, various sectors and localities should actively carry out activities to promote agriculture products, focusing on domestic users, he said.
The delta should also implement programmes to reduce post-harvest losses and switch from ineffective rice fields to other crops, he said.
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