Vietnam is moving towards sustainable agricultural development with agricultural output increasing by 20 percent, CO2 emissions dropping by 20 percent, and poverty rates falling by 20 percent over each decade.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, said this at a Plenary Meeting of the International Support Group entitled “Vietnam towards the New Vision in Agriculture”.
According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Vietnam’s agricultural sector has seen significant development, with production value increasing by 5.5 percent annually, accounting for 3.7 percent of the GDP.
Although there has been a relative decline in the value agriculture, forestry and fishery activities has contributed to the overall GDP, from 24.5 percent in 2000 to 20.58 percent in 2010, the nation’s food security is ensured with food supply per capita reaching 513 kilos and agricultural exports reaching US$ 19.5 billion in 2010.
Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam, highlighted Vietnam’s effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. She urged the country to continue its innovation in agriculture by improving the role of the private sector and promoting public-private partnership.
She pledged to continue supporting the Vietnamese government in dealing with newly-emerging challenges for agriculture and developing environment-friendly agriculture to boost average local incomes.
Participants in the meeting discussed issues for Vietnamese agriculture such as financial investment, sustainable agricultural development, as well as improving the competitiveness of some agricultural products.
They also emphasized the important contributions of the agricultural sector to social development and ecological preservation as the world becomes more modern and integrated.
