The Government leader was speaking at his working session with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi on September 16.

The Deputy PM stressed that applying science and technology, particularly to production, is one of the three pivotal issues that the nation needs to address in order to build a new rural area and a modern agriculture and improve farmers’ living conditions.

He asked the MARD, research institutes and scientists to develop projects that are in dire need at the moment such as resource training, post-harvest technology, aquaculture, and food security projects.

It is very important to build a scientific and technological strategy defining orientations, goals and solutions for the agricultural sector,” Deputy PM Hung said.

The MARD reported that it received over VND2.6 trillion for scientific and technological research in agriculture in the 2001-2005 period, which accounted for 2.3 percent of the total investment pumped into the agricultural sector.

The sum, however, made up just 0.1 percent of the country’s GDP while it was four to seven fold in other countries in the region, the MARD said.
MARD Minister Cao Duc Phat proposed raising investment in agricultural research to 0.3-0.5 percent of the national GDP.

MARD has already asked the Government to allow private businesses to take part in the selection of agriculture-related scientific research as one of a series of measures to boost the research and transfer of scientific and technological advances in the agricultural sector.

In 2008, MARD plans to disburse VND600 billion for agricultural research, Mr Phat said.