Japan shares experience in agricultural, rural development

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue

The event was jointly held by the Viet Nam Farmers’ Union, Japan’s Institute for East Asian Studies, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the Japanese Embassy in Viet Nam, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed that agriculture, farmers, and rural areas play an important role in the country’s industrialisation and modernisation, as well as in boosting economic growth in a fast and sustainable manner.

As such, the Vietnamese Party and State have worked out a range of important policies to comprehensively develop agriculture and rural areas as well as gradually improve farmers’ material and spiritual lives. The Government has put together directions related to building new-style rural areas at the hamlet level in disadvantaged areas, as well as implemented policies to encourage the establishment of cooperatives and their unions in farm produce production and consumption, he stated.

According to the Deputy PM, despite severe natural conditions, Japan has risen to become the world’s third largest economy with modern agriculture, strongly developed urban and rural areas, and farmers’ lives ensured. At present, about 3% of the Japanese population are working in the agricultural sector, yet food production is enough to serve both the local population of 127 million and also generate excess for exports.

President of the Viet Nam Farmers’ Union Thao Xuan Sung said that while the nation previously used to import much of its food for consumption, Viet Nam has risen to become one of the world’s leading exporters of agricultural products, with the export value hitting a record of US$36.37 billion last year.

Ideas and recommendations made at the workshop will help the Vietnamese Party and State better their policies on agricultural and rural development for times ahead, he added.

Sharing his experience in agricultural policy in Japan, Senior Advisor on Agricultural Development Police at JICA Kimura Yoshihisa said that the Japanese agricultural sector has succeeded in expanding its husbandry sector and fruit and vegetable planting, as well as given priority to large-scale rice cultivation.

He also shared measures to improve productivity through developing large-scale rice fields.

Participating agricultural experts suggested that Viet Nam consider sustainable agricultural growth an important key in its development strategy.

They also stressed the need to boost agricultural business through public-private partnership and step up human resources training. –VNA