President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc pays a visit to the HCM City Agricultural High-tech Park on Tuesday. Photo sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has called on the HCM City Agricultural High-tech Park to continue mobilising the resources needed to keep producing highly competitive and safe farm produce.

Speaking during a visit to the park on Tuesday, he praised the park for its achievements, especially in plant breeding, bio-products, preserving and processing agricultural produce, and cultivation and aquaculture models.

“[The park] contributes greatly to the city and country’s agricultural sector.” 

The park has in recent years demonstrated tech-based agricultural models and developed farming techniques and technologies recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

With the transfer of technologies and advanced cultivation methods to farmers, many areas in the outlying districts of Củ Chi, Bình Chánh, Nhà Bè, and Hóc Môn carry on hi-tech agriculture.  

Phúc said the park should continue to collaborate with domestic and international institutions and universities to increase value added for farm produce. 

He called on the city government and the park management to solicit investment in high-tech agriculture, especially from the private sector.

He said the city should go ahead with its goal of becoming the country’s leader in hi-tech agriculture by 2030.

More than 60 per cent of the country’s population are farmers who are looking forward to using technology, he said.

Challenges

Transfer of technology and advanced cultivation methods to farmers is happening at a slow space due to slow adoption and high costs involved in using the technologies, according to the park’s management board.

Most high-tech agricultural businesses are small in scale and have limited capital and consumption markets.

Farmers and enterprises engaged in high-tech agriculture have difficulty accessing capital and lands.

It is difficult for farmers and high-tech agricultural enterprises that do not have reliable outlets for their products to get bank loans.

The park’s investment policies and procedures remain difficult and time-consuming due to duplication of regulations.

Phúc said it is vital to have incentives to support the development of high-tech agriculture, promising that the Government would continue to provide them with credit at low interest rates.

Situated in suburban Củ Chi District, the country’s first agricultural high-tech park combines research with eco-tourism services.

The 88-hectare facility was set up in 2010 by the city People’s Committee.

Its main functions include making high-tech agricultural products, incubating high-tech agricultural businesses, researching, creating and demonstrating production models, offering consultancy on technology transfer, and promoting hi-tech agricultural models. 

It also helps farmers sell their high-tech farm produce.

On the same day President Phúc also attended a conference to promote investment in Củ Chi and Hóc Môn districts. — VNS