Hanoi seeks to capitalize on sci-tech for farming

Hanoi is striving to become a major center of agriculture-oriented innovation and technology transfer.

High-tech flower planting in Hanoi’s Dan Phuong District

Seeds of the problem

Vietnam has made significant use of science and technology to create high value, safe products such as high quality rice varieties, late ripening longan, Dien grapefruit, and Yen Chau persimmon. Sci-tech also helps control orchid and lily blossom time, and is also applied in environmental treatment and pond water treatment, among others. However, the application of science and technology faces difficulties because of inconsistent and inefficient policies.

This was the bottom line of “Strengthening Science and Technology Application in Sustainable and High Value Commodity-oriented Agricultural Production”, seminar that took place on November 7 in Hanoi.

Le Ngoc Anh, Director of the Hanoi Department of Science and Technology, told participants the capital city is interested in agriculture-oriented science and technology application promotion. Its sci-tech projects have focused on new technology application, new products, high-tech farming, product processing, and environmental treatment. They have formed industrial processes and found new technical solutions, contributing to the mechanization of production and creating quality, competitive products, he said.

However, leaders of some sectors and localities haven’t been interested in science and technology investment and development. The replication of high-tech agricultural models, production mechanization models and food safety and hygiene models remains poor. Businesses have not been properly encouraged to invest in agricultural development and form value chains. Agriculture-oriented sci-tech product branding needs to be developed, he added.

Pham Trung Dung, General Director of the National Seeds Corporation (NSC), said that apart from research and development of high quality rice varieties, the company has successfully grown Japanese melon varieties in Hanoi and some other localities. The yield and quality of these products are by no means inferior to those of imported ones. Dung said high-tech agriculture is risky due to being an outdoor production that requires a large amount of investment capital. He advised the city to enable high-tech agriculture investors to access preferential land lease rates and assistance for infrastructure construction, trade promotion and branding so they can develop large-scale production areas.

Dang Van Dong, Deputy Director of the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute (FAVRI), said Hanoi has formed some small-scale high-tech agricultural production areas. Seed sources are the major weakness of Hanoi in particular and the country as a whole, as most have to be imported. Hanoi should focus strongly on easing this problem, and accelerate administrative reform to bring into play preferential policies for high-tech agriculture.

Hanoi striving to lead

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Tran Van Tung, said businesses play a very important role in agriculture-oriented science and technology development. The city should prepare development plans for agricultural production areas, boost startup projects and mobilize resources for agricultural development. The Ministry of Science and Technology will maximize its support and cooperation for Hanoi so the city can participate in projects and programs applying science and technology in agricultural production.

Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, emphasized that science and technology have become a driving force significantly contributing to the capital’s socioeconomic development. Science and technology have been playing an important and efficient role in sustainable commodity-oriented agricultural production, improving the quality of farm produce and farmers’ lives, and developing new rural areas. Hanoi has set a target for each district to have one high-tech agricultural zone. The city currently has 89 high-tech agricultural models and 56 complete models (consisting of production, processing and sales), which have all helped increased the production value per one hectare of land to VND239 million. Such models as late ripening longan and finger citron production have yielded up to VND1 billion per hectare.

To increase the contribution of high-tech agriculture to the city’s total agricultural production value from 25 to 35 percent, Hang proposed that sectors and authorities, especially the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, focus on reaching the set targets. She added that Hanoi should strive to become a major center of agriculture-oriented renovation and technology transfer. To that end, it must strengthen sci-tech application to increase product value in order to develop quality farm produce exports. Districts should address limitations related to administrative procedures and agricultural production area planning.

Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, said localities should further promote science and technology application in agricultural development, focus on researching and creating high-yield plants and animals, continue to promote the role of science and technology in agriculture, connect producers and attract investors in agricultural production, especially high-tech agriculture projects.