HCM City(VNA) – Nearly 100 overseas Vietnamese (OV) experts, intellectuals andentrepreneurs in agriculture have given advice to Ho Chi Minh City in developinghi-tech farming during a conference in the city on October 19.
Duong Hoa Xo, Vice Director of the municipal Department of Agriculture andRural Development, underscored a small number of agricultural firms, especiallythose investing in hi-tech agriculture, in the city.
He held that hi-tech agricultural enterprises should become a motivation forcein the formation of production chain.
Although agriculture accounts for only 1 percent of the city’s GDP, the sectorhas received due attention from the municipal leaders. HCM City aims to buildan innovative and modern co-operative production model by 2020 with priority toinfrastructure and science and technology application.
Vice President and General Secretary of the Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs’Association Peter Hong, a Vietnamese Australian owning a hi-tech agriculturalfirm in the city, said that Vietnam is an agricultural country, but it isdifficult to find a source of clean agricultural product supply here.
He suggested learningAustralia’s experience in forming specialised centres for research, applicationand transfer of technology to farmers across the country.
Nguyen Quoc Binh, a VietnameseCanadian, said that Ho Chi Minh City should focus to some major products suchas vegetables, fruits, flowers and ornamental fish, while making carefulplanning for the sector’s development.
At the same time, TonyLam, CEO and General Director of US Farm company, highlighted the need to forma “supermarket restaurant” model to ensure the smooth selling of farm produce.-VNA