Biotech Updates

Boosting Vietnamese Agricultural Research

September 19, 2008

The Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung gave a directive at a meeting in Hanoi to boost agricultural production in the country by supporting projects aimed at solving agricultural issues related to harvesting, fisheries, and food security. A grant of VND500 billion (US$30.3 million) will be given to research institutes to provide training and improve technology in rural areas and to solve relevant issues for farmers to meet production demands. 

Hung also emphasized three elements to improve people’s living standards: the implementation of new technologies, training experts, attracting talented people to rural areas, and building modern infrastructure. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat added that the government should consider increasing government support to agricultural research which now stands at 0.1% of the GDP, compared to other countries’ 6 to 7%. He also felt that the country should start to support international institutes because he believes that every dollar invested in them will be a potential five to seven dollars gain due to increased production.

For details, see the Vietnamese article at: http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=01AGR170908. For biotechnology news in Vietnam contact Hien Le of the Vietnam Biotechnology Information Center at hienttt@yahoo.com