Mekong Delta eyes market-driven agriculture

According to Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung, the Mekong Delta region needs to switch to sustainable production and consumption and integrate into global supply chains. In order to do that, the region needs quality products that meet the requirements of both domestic and foreign markets, and the tool to achieve it is to apply science and technology into production, Tung said. 

He also called for promoting the startup spirit among young people. 

Economist Pham Chi Lan said exhausted land and water resources, disasters and epidemics, a highly volatile market and low investment have hindered the development of agriculture. 

Lan lined out several solutions such as forming large-scale production models and long-term links between farmers and agricultural businesses, and developing value chains and modern distribution systems for agriculture. 

It is time to develop a market-driven agriculture and green production models that can adapt to climate change and changes on the market, she said. 

According to Dr. Le Anh Tuan from the Can Tho University, the Mekong Delta is likely to bear the brunt of climate change and rising sea level that would threaten large areas of land for rice farming, fruit trees cultivation and aquaculture. 

Participants said in order to deal with the problems, more information sharing and data collection and analysis are needed to seek appropriate and effective solutions.