Shrimp are bred using advanced farming techniques in Sóc Trăng province. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) is implementing the first-year technical cooperation project for aquaculture productivity enhancement in Việt Nam. VNA/VNS Photo Chanh Đa

HÀ NỘI – The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) is implementing the first-year technical cooperation project for aquaculture productivity enhancement in Việt Nam’s northern provinces.

This is part of the ministry’s official development assistance (ODA) endeavours, the ministry said on February 21.

As a model of interdepartmental collaboration that combines the Korea Forest Service’s ongoing mangrove reforestation efforts, covering 30 hectares for 2020-2024 with a budget of 4.5 billion KRW (US$3.78 million) and the MOF’s aquaculture expertise, the project is expected to restore habitats rich in organic matter through mangrove rehabilitation and create synergy with shellfish farming.

More specifically, through the project, the MOF will modernise ageing seed production facilities and idle aquaculture sites in northern Việt Nam as well as dispatch Korean aquaculture experts to the region for technology transfer and capacity-building education.

These measures are expected to revitalise aqua farming in the region and raise income levels in local communities.

The coastal region in northern Việt Nam, the target area of the project, is home to mangrove forests and tidal wetlands. After 1995, the region experienced a “Golden Era” with a booming shellfish farming industry.

However, the overfishing of marine resources and coastal environmental degradation in recent years have had grave implications on the natural production of seed clams, causing disruptions in the supply of clam seeds and, in turn, a sharp drop in shellfish harvests.

To address this, the Vietnamese Government requested the RoK side share its leading aquaculture farming techniques.

After a two-year pilot project, the full-scale project will be implemented from 2022 to 2026 with a total budget of 3 billion KRW ($2.52 million).

“This is our first ODA project that integrates our advanced aquaculture and reforestation techniques,” said Kim Hyun-Tae, Director General for International Cooperation Policies at the MOF.

“We expect that this will not only resuscitate Vietnam's sluggish aquaculture production, but also provide an inroad for Korean aquaculture feed and facility businesses to enter overseas markets.”

Rice value project

In another development, a groundbreaking ceremony for a project to upgrade the rice value chain in Việt Nam’s Red River Delta was held in the northern province of Thái Bình on February 21.

The event was jointly held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Việt Nam.

The project, part of a new framework on agricultural development cooperation between Việt Nam and the RoK, will be carried out in Thái Bình, Nam Định and Hưng Yên provinces until 2024.

It aims to build a master plan on rice value chain development in the Red River Delta, improve cultivation efficiency amid climate change and successfully develop a sustainable, high-value rice growing model raking in high value in Thái Bình for expansion in the delta as a whole.

The project will be rolled out with a non-refundable assistance worth 5 billion KRW (over $4.5 million) provided by the RoK Government through its agriculture ministry.

It is hoped to raise income of rice farmers as well as economic efficiency in agricultural production in the Red River Delta.

Under the cooperation, an area of 2.4 ha will be zoned off for pilot rice cultivation, which helps the two sides find the best rice varieties. It will also house a drying facility with a daily capacity of about 20 tonnes, and a storage system, said Prof. Dr. Lee Dae-seob, Director of the project.

The area is projected to be put into operation this year. VNS