Fruit farmers in the northwest will be able to improve access to marketsin Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and overseas under a research projectpromoted by the Australian Government.
This was revealed at theLaunch of the ODA-funded Project by the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) and the Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR) on September 16.
"The project teamwill focus their efforts on identifying and developing new and inclusivemarkets and value-chain opportunities for temperate fruits," saidAustralian Ambassador Hugh Borrowman.
He added that the largeAustralian fruit industry would share its extensive research andproduction experience with Vietnamese researchers and farmers.
The project, which will run until 2018 with a total fund of 1.4 million AUD (1.26 million USD), has four core missions.
Thefirst two are to evaluate nationwide consumers and markets, to correctthe plans set by the Government and to improve the development oftemperate fruits in the northwest.
The other two core missionsare to resolve obstacles limiting the development of markets andidentifying points where intervention and change to the supply chainwill improve access to domestic and overseas markets.
"Developmentof temperate fruits is one of the major ways to reduce poverty in thenorthwest," Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of MARD said.
He saidthere were several obstacles to the development of the industry - lackof information about customers' tastes and market drives, inefficienttransport and limited knowledge by farmers about markets andtechnologies.
Three northwest provinces, Lao Cai, Lai Chau andSon La, were selected to pilot the scheme because they are consideredthe most disadvantaged areas in Vietnam.
For 20 years, Australia has invested in agricultural research and development in Vietnam through the ACIAR.
Scientistsfrom both countries have completed more than 130 projects in crop andlivestock production, natural resources management, fisheries, forestryand agricultural research.-VNA
This was revealed at theLaunch of the ODA-funded Project by the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) and the Australian Centre for InternationalAgricultural Research (ACIAR) on September 16.
"The project teamwill focus their efforts on identifying and developing new and inclusivemarkets and value-chain opportunities for temperate fruits," saidAustralian Ambassador Hugh Borrowman.
He added that the largeAustralian fruit industry would share its extensive research andproduction experience with Vietnamese researchers and farmers.
The project, which will run until 2018 with a total fund of 1.4 million AUD (1.26 million USD), has four core missions.
Thefirst two are to evaluate nationwide consumers and markets, to correctthe plans set by the Government and to improve the development oftemperate fruits in the northwest.
The other two core missionsare to resolve obstacles limiting the development of markets andidentifying points where intervention and change to the supply chainwill improve access to domestic and overseas markets.
"Developmentof temperate fruits is one of the major ways to reduce poverty in thenorthwest," Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of MARD said.
He saidthere were several obstacles to the development of the industry - lackof information about customers' tastes and market drives, inefficienttransport and limited knowledge by farmers about markets andtechnologies.
Three northwest provinces, Lao Cai, Lai Chau andSon La, were selected to pilot the scheme because they are consideredthe most disadvantaged areas in Vietnam.
For 20 years, Australia has invested in agricultural research and development in Vietnam through the ACIAR.
Scientistsfrom both countries have completed more than 130 projects in crop andlivestock production, natural resources management, fisheries, forestryand agricultural research.-VNA
