Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng speaks at on Tuesday at the Grow Asia Forum which was co-organised by the Grow Asia Partnership and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Việt Nam.–VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng called for the private sector to get more involved with cutting edge technologies in the 4.0 revolution in a bid to transform the agriculture industry of ASEAN countries.

Dũng made the statement on Tuesday at the Grow Asia Forum which was co-organised by the Grow Asia Partnership and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Việt Nam.

The forum attracted 170 senior leaders and decision-makers in the sector from 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as executives of multinational corporations to discuss strategies for the growth of the industry in the region which has an ever-growing population of 650 million people to feed.

Agriculture was the backbone of the economy in most of ASEAN countries, Dũng said, which did not only ensure food security for the region but the whole world.

“Co-operation in agriculture is one of the most important agenda of the ASEAN Economic Community to strengthen the competitiveness and marketability of agricultural products, to develop product chains and to promote the participation and benefits of farmer households,” he said.

In order to realise those goals, ASEAN countries were focusing on endorsing regional strategic co-operation in agriculture through bilateral, multilateral and regional channels as well as establishing a strategic agricultural tri-party partnership between producer, customer and enterprise.

Enterprise and technology   

The Deputy PM said the private sector was playing a vital role in the development of the agriculture industry in Việt Nam and the whole region.

“Businesses are the most dynamic factor in the value chain in which they can produce, process and consume agricultural products,” Dũng said.

“Especially, businesses have the resources to apply advanced technology to build a modern and competitive agriculture industry with high added values and socially and environmentally sustainable standards.”

He said that was the only way to transform the agriculture sector to become “more effective, more inclusive and more sustainable.

In Việt Nam, the public-private partnership (PPP) model was on the rise as an alternative source of investment into the agriculture industry.

“PPP is considered to be an important means to invite investment and develop value chain production in Việt Nam. The Government has issued a number of policies which prioritise PPP investment model,” Dũng said.

Grow Asia was established by the World Economic Forum in co-operation with the ASEAN Secretariat. It is a multi-stakeholder partnership platform that catalyses action on inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in South East Asia. — VNS