Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has highlighted theleading role of cooperatives in connecting farmers with businesses, towardspromoting strong and effective agricultural production and consumption.

Addressing the 3rd National Farmers Forum in Hanoi on October 14 whichwas part of activities in the “Proud of Vietnamese farmers” programme, theDeputy PM stressed that it is necessary to fully tap potential of each regionsand localities, and enhance links between the domestic and foreign markets.

The Government promises to perfect policies to foster agricultural development,trade and investment promotion, he said.

Hue praised the organisation of the forum and its theme, saying that Vietnam currentlyhas 10 farm products with export turnover of 1 billion USD upwards.

Vietnam has also witnessed remarkable events of the agriculture sector,especially as the country held the world rice conference for the first time.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union Thao Xuan Sung emphasised thegreat and proud achievements of the agriculture sector over the past 32 yearsof reform.

The export of farm products has recorded continuous growth, creating impressivebreakthroughs, he said.

In the first four months of this year, Vietnam’s export value of vegetables andfruits surpassed those of crude oil. The country’s agro-forestry-aquaticproduct exports are forecast to reach 40 billion USD in 2018.

However, Sung also mentioned challenges facing Vietnam’s agriculture sectorsuch as climate change and internal difficulties of the national economy.

At the forum, participants voiced their concern about how to improve the qualityand image of Vietnamese agricultural products, and expand more markets for andreduce production cost and prices of farm produce. They also discussed policiesto cope with the protection of agricultural products in importing countries.


Deputy Ministerof Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh underlined the need to buildbrand names for Vietnamese farm produce, saying that it is necessary  for Vietnam to improve the quality and ensurefood safety of agricultural products if it wants to build sustainabletrademarks for those.

He added that theministry has built a project to develop 15,000 new-style cooperatives, whichare hoped to help farmers develop their production and make it easier for themin selling their products.

Director of theTrade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) VuBa Phu said through programmes to support farmers and enterprises in buildingbrand names for their farm produce, the MoIT and other relevant ministries willpromote Vietnamese trademarks to international markets through Vietnam’sagencies abroad.-VNA