CanTho (VNA)🎉 - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of the Mekong Deltacity of Can Tho Nguyen Thuc Hien held a working session with Italian ConsulGeneral in Ho Chi Minh City EnricoPadula on March 22 to discuss all-around cooperation opportunities, with afocus on climate-resilientagriculture.

Hien outlinedCan Tho's agricultural development plan, aiming for 2.5-3% annual growth by 2030, an increase of5.5-6% in agricultural labour productivity, over 70% of skilled workers in thefield and a three-fold rise in the income of rural residents compared to 2020. To such end, Can Tho is actively developing high-techagriculture by establishing specialised zones and breeding farms, whichwill also partially cater to eco-tourism, he said, adding that the city is alsoincreasing investment in technical infrastructure and expanding research partnershipswith domestic and international institutes, towards forming a hi-tech agriculture centre forthe Mekong Delta and the country as a whole. According to the official, environmental protection, climate change and sustainabledevelopment are top priorities for the Mekong Delta and Can Tho inparticular. He urged Padula to act as a bridge popularisingCan Tho's investment environment to Italian firms and investors while promotinginvestment through seminars, trade fairs and exhibitions in Can Tho and Italy. Padula, for his part, acknowledged Can Tho as a crucial partner ofItaly. He announced that a delegation of Italian firms will visit Can Tho laterthis year to explore potential in high-tech agriculture and industrialmachinery. Informing the host about his attendance at a seminar on thesustainable development of the Mekong Delta earlier the same day, he affirmed Italy’s commitments to Can Tho and regional provinces via specific activities toadapt agricultural products to climate change and align them with the EuropeanUnion market, ultimately increasing profits for this sector. Last year, Can Tho exported 3.2 million USD worth of goods toItaly, mostly rice, aquatic products, garments, farm produce and processedagricultural products. Its imports totalled 0.21 million USD, primarily pharmaceutical materials./.