A seminar on the prospects of Vietnam’s agricultural sector was held
on April 4 in Hanoi , forecasting that the farm produce market is
likely to face various fluctuations in 2013.
The annual event
was co-organised by the Institute of Policy and Strategy for
Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) and the National
Agricultural Policy Centre.
It was attended by representatives
from the top ten institutions in the world that specialise in
macro-economics, agricultural development and economic forecasting.
Participants said rice, livestock and seafood will continue to be the
focus of both producers and businesses, and will be hardest hit by the
changes this year.
Dr. Dang Kim Son, the Head of
IPSARD, said besides the slow recovery of the global and domestic
economy, the agricultural sector faces increasing impacts posed by
climate change. Vietnam ’s agricultural production capacity has been
lagging behind other regional countries, plus the quality of
agricultural products is not guaranteed.
Vietnam
is entering a period of fulfilling its commitments to opening its market
and reducing taxes on numerous products this year, such as processed
farm produce and foodstuffs, he said.
It also means
that agricultural exporters will have to face strict quality controls,
new trade conditions, and stronger impacts from in the world market,
said Son.
During the seminar, economic experts said
along with the agricultural restructuring process, Vietnam should
focus on short-term measures to ensure sustainable development.
Besides stabilising agricultural productivity and joining world
value-added chains, enterprises and farmers should diversify their
products and enhance public investment to benefit farmers, they said.
They added that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MARD) and relevant ministries should research and
disseminate the latest market data to help people make informed
decisions.
In 2012, agriculture was a bright spot of
the country’s economy, with a growth rate of 3.4 percent and a record
export value of 27 billion USD.-VNA