The scene of the conference. (Photo: SGGP)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), on the morning of April 28, held the national conference on promoting the processing and development of the agricultural market in 2021 in Can Tho City, with the attendance of Mr. Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Science and Technology, leaders of localities, and 150 enterprises operating in the agricultural sector.
According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the MARD, currently, there are over 7,500 industrial-scale agricultural, forestry, and fishery processing enterprises, engaged with import-export activities, and tens of thousands of small processing establishments and households.
At the conference, the presentation reports have given many solutions to promote processing and develop the agricultural market. Noticeably, according to FAO statistics, nearly half (45 percent) of the world's agricultural output is wasted on the way to consumers.
The main cause is pests or poor storage conditions, causing farm produce to rot or lose weight. In the past one or two decades, Vietnam's agriculture has grown strongly, but the biggest shortcoming is still the high rate of post-harvest loss, low value of agricultural products, and potential risks of food safety.
Therefore, promoting the development of the industry of preserving and processing agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in the context of the industrial revolution is an inevitable trend.
According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the MARD, currently, there are over 7,500 industrial-scale agricultural, forestry, and fishery processing enterprises, engaged with import-export activities, and tens of thousands of small processing establishments and households.
At the conference, the presentation reports have given many solutions to promote processing and develop the agricultural market. Noticeably, according to FAO statistics, nearly half (45 percent) of the world's agricultural output is wasted on the way to consumers.
The main cause is pests or poor storage conditions, causing farm produce to rot or lose weight. In the past one or two decades, Vietnam's agriculture has grown strongly, but the biggest shortcoming is still the high rate of post-harvest loss, low value of agricultural products, and potential risks of food safety.
Therefore, promoting the development of the industry of preserving and processing agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in the context of the industrial revolution is an inevitable trend.
Mr. Le Minh Hoan (L), Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, visits a fruit stall on the sidelines of the conference. (Photo: SGGP)
Associate Professor - Doctor Pham Anh Tuan from the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology said that the State needs to support investment in infrastructure development synchronously with the planning of market-oriented agricultural production areas, consistent with the characteristics and comparative advantages of regions, creating the environment to attract enterprises to invest in high-tech agricultural production and logistics system. On the other hand, it is necessary to have a specific policy mechanism to attract large enterprises and FDI enterprises to invest in technologies in the field of agro-forestry-fishery processing as the hub connecting producers and distributors by the value chain. According to the Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, the Ministry of Science and Technology will further promote activities to support the protection and exploitation of industrial property rights for agricultural products. Up to now, the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam has protected 81 inventions and useful solutions, 101 geographical indications, 646 certification trademarks, and 1,407 collective trademarks for Vietnamese agricultural products. The ministry will continue to perfect mechanisms and policies on traceability, build a national portal on traceability, perfect the system of national technical regulations and standards for agricultural products. The ministry expects to continue to have strong companionship and support from the MARD and localities, as well as the active response and participation of scientists, research institutes, and universities, which are the subjects of research activities, and enterprises, which are the driving force for development and the center of research and innovation activities, said Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat.
