Mekong Delta: Towards Sustainable Quality Agriculture

MDEC - Tien Giang comprised many important trade and investment events like a farmers’ forum; a business forum; the Vietnam International Agricultural Fair (Agroviet) that coincided with a fruit fair and exhibition; Mekong Delta Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Conference; a workshop on specific mechanisms and policies to promote key products.

 

Over the past two decades, the Mekong Delta has become the largest granary and rice export centre of Vietnam, making the country the second rice exporter in the world. MDEC Tien Giang gathered voices and initiatives of businesses and investors to send to the Government and the Prime Minister for issuance of investment policies and supports for green, sustainable and effective agricultural development. In particular, focus was given to regional key products, including rice, fruit and seafood. Participants also discussed measures to strengthen the Mekong Delta regional linkage, where concentration is placed on business and market connectivity.

 

Speaking at MDEC - Tien Giang, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, Head of Steering Committee for Southwest Region, stressed that the Mekong Delta Economic Forum is a very important event promoting the development of the Mekong Delta region, especially agriculture, rural areas and farmers, while introducing strengths and create the nice image of the region to attract more investment capital, step up economic integration and head for sustainable development.

 

At the forum, participants proposed "four important scenarios" orienting the development of the Mekong Delta - the country’s major producer of rice, seafood and fruits. Accordingly, the Mekong Delta will develop sustainable and rational agriculture, manufacture commodities and services from agricultural products, introduce solutions to climate change adaptation, modernise the countryside and diversify agricultural products. Four scenarios depict prioritised directions: Food security guarantee; agricultural business; industrialization corridor development; and double-button industrialisation scenario.

 

The highlight of MDEC - Tien Giang was the fruit and vegetable fair. This is province the inherent strength of the Mekong Delta. Farmers and businesses had the opportunity to introduce images and key products to domestic and international customers at this event. At lot of farmers and companies attended this fair.

 

Over the past years, Mekong Delta provinces and cities have achieved much progress in regional cooperation and connection, facilitating companies and authoritative agencies in the region and Ho Chi Minh City to cooperate and coordinate in economic development. This was also the main content of previous MDEC, especially MDEC - Ca Mau in 2011, because linkage is the objective, motivation and method for the Mekong Delta’s sustainable development in close connection with Ho Chi Minh City, other regions and the world.

 

The Farmers Forum underscored the importance of agriculture, countryside and farmers, the production and trading of rice, seafood and fruits, and the professional training of rural workers.

 

Mr Nguyen Phong Quang, Deputy Director of the Steering Committee for Southwest Region and Head of MDEC - Tien Giang, said MDEC - Tien Giang gathered initiatives to address fragmented production and business in order to enhance regional connectivity and achieve sustainable development of the Mekong Delta. Not only interconnecting production and business, MDEC - Tien Giang also focused on creating unique tourism products, and developed inter-regional, transnational and international tourism products.

 

In addition, in the framework of the MDEC - Tien Giang, the members of the Steering Committee were committed to strengthening the Mekong Delta regional linkage, developing horizontal and vertical linkage in production and consumption of rice, fruit, tra catfish and shrimp, supporting and expanding the effective "large sample field" model, accelerate investment, trade and tourism promotion based on local and regional advantages and benefits.