The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and China’s Ministry of Agriculture on May 20 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to further expand cooperation in agriculture.

Activities covered by the MoU include research, technology, trade, seedling production, control and prevention of diseases on plants and animals; production of agricultural machinery; farm produce processing; exchange of experts and information.

Vu Van Tam, Deputy Minister of the MARD, said Vietnam and China have cooperated effectively in the Fisheries Agreement in the Gulf of Tonkin and they should enhance joint efforts for sustainable fisheries.

Tam said that the two countries can cooperate in the development of new breeds with high economic value and create linkages in processing and consumption.

In trade, he proposed boosting the exchange of information on diseases and the fight against the trafficking of unquarantined animals and animal products.

The deputy minister also wanted the two ministries to step up training in research, fighting epidemic and producing vaccine as well as the application of high technology in agriculture.

Chinese Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Zhang Taolin expressed his agreement with the MARD’s proposals, particularly those concerning seafood resources.

The two ministries have conducted a number of cooperation activities in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and capacity building training, while encouraging investment in wood processing, animal feed and cultivation.

In 2014, Chinese businesses invested in 112 projects in agriculture with a combined capital of 279 million USD. In the first quarter of 2015, there are 21 new Chinese projects with a total of 33 million USD, mostly involving in wood processing, animal feed, seafood and vegetables and fruits.

The agriculture trade between China and Vietnam increased from 3.4 billion USD in 2009 to 8 billion USD in 2013, or an annual growth of 23 percent.

VNA