Vietnam's MARD Minister Cao Duc Phat: GM Crops is an Achievement of Mankind

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat pronounced that "Genetically modified crop is an achievement of humanity and Vietnam should not ignore it," to the members of the parliament and various stakeholders attending the forum on the Application of Science and Technology on April 8, 2014. The event was organized by the Commission of Science, Technology and Environment of the National Assembly and was broadcasted live nationwide through VTV1.

He added that, "For several years we have held trials and tests on biosafety and commercial values of some maize varieties to consider the possibility of planting in Vietnam, and at present this process is still continuing. We will make sure that these technologies will benefit the people and the country."

The minister further stressed that, "In order to maintain sustainable growth in the agricultural sector with higher efficiency we can not continue to develop as we did in the past 30 years, but need to adjust and restructure the agriculture sector. To do that, we must first change the concept for agricultural business: not only for domestic consumption but for production of agricultural goods for international competition. It is, therefore, necessary to focus on the crops and livestock which are the advantage of Vietnam. There is also a need to adjust the policies, enhancing the role of the state in scientific researches and transfer of technologies at regional and international levels, while encouraging businesses involved in scientific research and technical transfer to farmers.

For details of the Forum, contact Hien Le of Agbiotech Viet at hientttm@yahoo.com.