Hanoi (VNA) – How to develop a strongagricultural sector – a factor of sustainable development – was an issue underdiscussion at some workshops held in Hanoi on November 26.

The events, organised by the Party CentralCommittee’s Economic Commission, were part of a national teleconference and anational exhibition reviewing the 10-year implementation of the resolution onagriculture, farmers and rural areas, issued at the seventh meeting of the 10thParty Central Committee in August 2008.

Vice Chairman of the Economic Commission Cao DucPhat said in 2017, agriculture contributed 15.3 percent of total GDP, down 5.1percent from 2008. The rate of agricultural labourers fell by 12.4 percent to40.2 percent, while the rate of rural residents decreased by 6 percent to 65percent.

These figures are predicted to drop in an evenfaster pace by 2030, respectively down to 10 percent, 25 percent and 55percent, he said, noting that agriculture now contributes only 1 percent of HoChi Minh City’s GDP.

This is an inevitable trend that all countrieshave to experience on the path to prosperity, Phat said.

An official of the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) said Vietnam is working to develop a modern andsustainable agricultural sector, along with prosperous and civilised ruralareas.

To modernise agriculture and improve farmers’role and living standards, participants called for more conditions for them tochange their livelihoods via diverse vocational training programmes.

Additionally, amid global economic integration,it is an urgent need to invest in agriculture and rural development and resolverural problems so as to industrialise and modernise agriculture and ruralareas, they added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Science andTechnology Pham Cong Tac stressed that science and technology have been adriving force of socio-economic development, including in agriculture. Theyhave effectively helped with the expansion of agricultural production and theimprovement of productivity, quality and competitiveness of farm produce in thedomestic and foreign markets.

MARD Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam saidagriculture, farmers and rural areas of Vietnam have witnessed strong changesand obtained significant achievements over the last decade since the Party’sresolution was issued. He attributed this outcome to the investment in anddevelopment of the agricultural product market.

With higher productivity and quality, agriculturalproducts have helped boost the sector’s annual growth rate to 2.66 percentbetween 2008 and 2017, and about 3.5 – 3.6 percent this year.

The official also admitted certain problems,elaborating that total investment in agro-forestry-fishery sectors is still lowand tends to decline. The policies on mobilising resources for agricultural andrural development haven’t been strong enough. Notably, farm produce supply anddemand remain problematic, while the competitiveness of many products is stillmodest.

At the seminars, participants also discussedexperience in forming sustainable agricultural value chains, hi-techagricultural models, opportunities for Vietnamese farm produce whennew-generation free trade agreements take effect, and the State’s supportpolicies for agricultural investment.-VNA