Conference examines threats to agriculture

While agricultural production has enormous potential to reduce poverty in rural areas, governments must enact new policies to prevent potential losses of profits as the risks are especially high in this sector, an international conference heard on Wednesday, Oct 17, in HCM City.

Organised by the Forum for Agriculture Risk Management in Development, the conference focused on Asia's rice industry and opportunities for improved risk management.

Viet Nam has achieved remarkable progress in rice production and export, contributing to food supply in some parts of the world, Bui Ba Bong, deputy minister of the agriculture and rural development, said.

At a time when concerns exist about higher food prices worldwide, the country has been able to maintain a high capacity for food production and export.

"With its rapidly growing middle class, developing countries will continue to account for the bulk of incremental global food demand and growing share of world food and agricultural imports," Bong said.

"Hence, much of the growth in world food and agricultural imports will occur in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and this trend could open up great opportunities for agricultural-exporting countries like Viet Nam," he added.

"However, agricultural production is likely to suffer from rising and continued volatility of prices," he added.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the US Department of Agriculture, prices in the medium term are expected to reach historically high levels due to increased demand for grain, oil seeds, livestock products, industrial materials and biofuel programmes, as well as expected high-energy prices.

These higher prices have been caused by more speculative trading in commodity markets.

At the same time, the agricultural sector is also facing growing risks, such as disease, environmental pollution and climate change.

These major risks are threatening incomes of both farmers and business owners.

"Rice is the favoured staple food in most Asian countries. The uncertainties in rice production, market and trade would affect millions of people, particularly small-scale and marginal rice producers and low-income consumers," Bong said.

"Efforts are being made at country and regional levels to minimise uncertainties and risks in the rice sector," he stressed.

Peter Timmer, professor emeritus at Harvard University, told Viet Nam News that Viet Nam's rice sector was facing three categories of risks.

The first - climate change could seriously affect the water supply, especially in the Mekong Delta.

Timmer said the Government had already begun measures to help farmers cope with the changes.

The second risk is the volatility of prices on the world rice market, causing difficulties for the Government, traders and farmers.

Finally, the rice sector in Viet Nam is facing competition from Cambodia, Myanmar and India, particularly in the low-end rice segment.

Myanmar and Cambodia are increasingly providing a cheap supply of rice, as India has done.

"So, Viet Nam has to figure out some ways to move up to higher quality, more value-added rice, or perhaps even get out of the low-end rice market and concentrate on the higher end," he said.

K. L. Heong, principal scientist for insect ecology at the International Rice Research Institute, said that ineffective use of insecticides was causing risks to the country's agricultural sector.

"Farmers react to visible pests, but often the pesticide is not necessary because the plant will recover," he said. "The worst pests are caused by insecticides. So if they can use insecticides once instead of so many times, they will save a lot of money."

Since prices for insecticides are determined by the market, production costs could be lowered by reducing the use of insecticides, which are very expensive.

"In addition, Viet Nam should increase farm size because larger farms are more profitable. More machinery can be used, and the cost of production will go down further," he said.

Participants at the conference also urged governments in Asia to adopt measures to encourage farmers to continue to produce rice.

They called on all stakeholders involved in the rice industry to develop a rice-supply chain in Asia.

New SOS children’s village for Binh Dinh

A new SOS children’s village, the 14th of its kind in Vietnam, opened in Quy Nhon City, in the central province of Binh Dinh on October 16.

The VND52.5 billion village, which was jointly funded by German company Vorwerk and the provincial People’s Committee, will house 14 families to take care of 140 orphans and homeless children. There will also be nursery facilities for the very young children.

The village is currently home to 85 children in the custody of 10 families, as well as 190 toddlers from outside the village who are attending six pre-school classes, which will make it easier for the village’s children to integrate back into society.

At the inauguration ceremony, Germany’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Thomas Triller, presented assorted Puma sports equipment and other paraphernalia as gifts to the village’s children.

Construction of another SOS children’s village is underway in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. The northern province of Thai Binh is also looking for investment to fund a similar project.

According to the SOS International Children’s Village Organisation, Vietnamese children are now third out of kids from 133 countries and territories worldwide to benefit from SOS village projects, behind India and Brazil.

Thousands of Mekong homes linked to grid

More than 20,000 Khmer households in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Soc Trang have been connected to the national power grid as part of a two-phase project.

Begun in mid-2010, the project's first phase has an investment of VND305.4 billion (US$14.5 million), and the second phase, an investment of VND169 billion ($8 million).

Under the second phase that begins next year, a total of 436km of power lines will be built, and 168 transformer stations with a total capacity of 3,677.5 kVA will be installed in 51 communes in 11 districts.

Upon completion of the second phase, an additional 13,200 families will have access to electricity.

At the end of the project, more than 96 per cent of all households and 94 per cent of all Khmer households are expected to be connected to the power grid.

Illegal medicine on sale near border

Medicines of unidentified origin are being traded publicly in markets in the mountainous provinces of Lao Cai's Bac Ha and Si Ma Cai districts.

The vendors are mostly ethnic minority people without any licence for drug trading.

Bac Ha District's General Hospital has reportedly seen many cases of poisoning from such medicines. Local authorities have set up a team of healthcare personnel, border guards and market inspectors to monitor the situation.

USAID gives $41m to fight climate change

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced yesterday that it would allocate about US$41 million to help Viet Nam address the effects of climate change and land use.

"We are pleased to support Viet Nam through these new programmes that encourage energy efficiency, explore the possible development of renewable energy technologies, and assist people living in vulnerable forest and delta areas," newly-arrived USAID Mission Director Joakim Parker said at yesterday's press briefing.

The two five-year programmes are expected to be implemented this month.

The USAID Viet Nam Forest and Deltas Programme will address the deforestation and degradation of forests and other landscapes, thus increasing the resilience of people, places and livelihoods in delta areas.

The Viet Nam Clean Energy Programme will contribute approximately $12 million to increase energy efficiency in high-use energy sectors in cooperation with the ministries of Industry and Trade and Construction and relevant Government agencies. It will also utilise public and private investment to pilot renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies.

Parker, who assumed his new position in September, said USAID was also working on its new development strategy with Viet Nam for 2013-18.

Since 2000, the agency has provided more than $588 million for development and relief efforts in the country.

An Giang strengthens cooperation with Cambodia

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Yim Chhay Ly on October 17 made a fact-finding tour of the southern province of An Giang’s aquaculture farms and large-scale field model.

He also met with Provincial People’s Committee Chairman Vuong Binh Thanh and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam.

Thanh briefed the guests on the socio-economic development of An Giang with its strengths in agriculture and aquaculture.

He highlighted the good neighbourliness and friendship between the province and two Cambodian localities of Takeo and Kandan during the past years.

Deputy PM Yim Chhay Ly expressed his hope that An Giang will continue to assist the two provinces of Takeo and Kandan to develop agriculture and aquaculture, especially the application of the large-scale rice field model in these provinces.

He said he hopes that in the future, An Giang will help Cambodia with personnel training and technology transfer, in order to establish an aquatic breeding centre in Cambodia, meeting the demand for aquatic fry in the country.

Ha Long Bay to restrict port activities

All activities related to loading and unloading goods in Ha Long Bay will completely stopped in December, said northern Quang Ninh Province People's Committee Deputy Chairman Dang Huy Hau.

Hau said these activities not only harmed the beauty of the bay and made waterway transportation difficult, especially for travelling boats, but also polluted the environment. After December, loading and unloading will take place in Hon Net Port in Cam Pha City.

Ha Long Bay has become a popular place for loading and unloading because it has a deep sea level and is protected from strong winds.

Central provinces get community funding

A VND10 billion (US$476,000) community project to fund sports, education, social security and the environment in six central provinces has been launched in central Hue City.

The project, which is funded by the Hue Brewery company, will pay for the development of community football, volleyball and boat racing in central Nghe An and Ha Tinh Provinces. It will also provide scholarships for underprivileged kids in central Quang Binh Province and help build houses and libraries for the poor in central Quang Tri Province.

Hue and Da Nang will be beneficiaries of the environmental programmes starting next year.

These projects include providing clean water to rural areas, planting trees and collecting rubbish on the beach.

Flood refugees flee resettlement estate

Poor living conditions have forced many refugees from flood-stricken areas to flee the Moc Dinh resettlement estate and return to their former homes in Hong Thuy Commune.

More than 50 families were moved to Moc Dinh in 2009 because they were living on flood-prone land.

Each household received VND10 million (US$480) initial support and about 1,500sq.m to create a vegetable garden.

However, after a short time at their new quarters, residents realised that the area was not suitable for cultivation. So far 40 households have returned to their old houses.

Le Thi Hang, one of residents who is still in the resettlement estate, said that soil in the new estate was poor. She said her garden consisted of sand that could not even produce grass.

Roots died from the heat in the summer – and in the rainy season they rotted because the water could not escape and stagnated.

This was because all the sluice gates at the new site were higher than garden level, said Hang.

"We do not have careers and we cannot cultivate our gardens. We have to go out to work for someone, or return to our old houses in desperation," she said.

Another refugee, Pham Thi Don, said that the biggest issue was that none of the resettled families had been issued with a land-use right certificate.

Apparently, the district People's Committee decided not to issue residents with the certificates because many were uncertain which way to go.

Don said that if residents wanted to improve the impoverished soil, they must have funds.

‘However, it is too difficult for us to borrow money from banks as we do not have any property to mortgage," she said.

Deputy chairman of the Hong Thuy Commune People's Committee, Chau Van Song, said the committee had sent a document about stagnant rain water in residents' gardens to the district People's Committee, but so far had not received a reply.

Residents who return to their old houses and start growing rice again, know there is a likelihood that there efforts will be washed away.

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of the Le Thuy District People's Committee, Pham Huu Thao, said the survey of the land made before resettlement was not done carefully enough.

This meant that part of the construction work was not suitable, including the sluice-gate system.

At present, the district authority is checking all problems to see if they can be rectified. It said all sluice gates would be re-built with district funds.

The district will also call for agricultural expansion projects to help residents, said Thao. The projects may focus on helping residents breed buffaloes.

ITEC 2012 highlights Vietnam-India friendship

Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) 2012 was launched by the Indian Embassy in Hanoi on October 17.

This is part of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and India (1972-2012) and the five years of their strategic partnership (2007-2012).

ITEC 2012 provides a chance for more than 200 overseas alumni to refresh good memories of their study time in India.

ITEC is a technical cooperation programme between Vietnam and India that is of great significance to their time-honoured and close-knit relationship.

Under the programme, the Indian Government provides 75 annual scholarships for Vietnamese students.

In his recent visit to Vietnam, the Indian Prime Minister decided to double the number of Indian scholarships from 75 to 150/year for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Bauxite trucks clog central highway

Upgrading National Highway 20 in the provinces of Dong Nai and Lam Dong is lagging behind schedule, creating a dangerous traffic situation with bauxite trucks tipped to reach 800 passages a day next month amid a confusion of roadworks.

The bauxite ore is already being carted to southern Dong Nai and when the Lam Dong-based Tan Rai Alumni Plant starts up next month, the road will become more crowded with bauxite trucks.

The delay was caused by the slow release of money from Government coffers, said the local Transport Department.

However, the upgrade of the 123-km stretch of the highway and 18.2km of provincial Route 725, kicked off in December last year under the build-transfer model to be finished by December next year.

Lam Dong Province's Transport Department said that so far work had been carried out on only 6km of the 18.2km provincial route 725 and a similar situation had occurred on the upgrade of National Highway 20.

Residents were concerned about traffic safety on the crowded and degraded road, said Truong Van Vo, head of the National Assembly deputy group from Dong Nai Province.

Vo told Dong Nai provincial newspaper that the number of accidents on highway 20 had risen by 24 per cent this year compared to the same period last year.

Lam Dong Province Transport Department director Truong Huu Hiep said an estimated 800 passages by bauxite trucks each day would create even more damage and pose greater safety risks on the degraded road.

Road reconstruction worth VND7.6 trillion (US$364 million) is designed for high load capacities – 1,600kg/sq cm – for lorries running at speeds of 60-80kph.

VNN/VOV/VNS