The HCM City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on April 3 organised a conference to finalise plans for agricultural cooperation with Central Highlands provinces this year. — Photo www.sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — HCM City and the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) provinces have successfully collaborated in agricultural, and will continue to do so, a conference heard in HCM City on Wednesday (April 3).

The city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development organised the conference to discuss and finalise plans for agricultural cooperation with the Central Highlands provinces.

It proposed various collaboration initiatives for 2024 for the two sides to consider and reach an agreement.

Three regional-level events are proposed to held in HCM City, including the International Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs Festival in May, a trade fair and exhibition highlighting high-tech agriculture and seedlings in June, and the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) product week to showcase regional specialities.

The regional events to be held in Central Highlands include the first Ngọc Linh Ginseng Festival in Kon Tum Province and a speciality workshop on pig breeding techniques and supply of broodstock in Đắk Nông Province.

Leaders of the agricultural sector from the city and Central Highlands provinces engaged in extensive discussions on various bilateral cooperation initiatives.

For instance, the city and Đắk Lắk Province will collaborate to research and propose conservation and breeding processes for rare indigenous fish species in Đắk Lắk.

Trials will be done on preserving fresh mangoes using low-molecular-weight chitosan biological products.

Support will be provided for the development of biological products to build pig farming models.

The city and Gia Lai Province have discussed cooperation in many areas, including training human resources in molecular biology, performing scientific and technological tasks, technology transfer for the production of Ngọc Linh ginseng (a rare medical root containing 52 saponin compounds beneficial to health) using bioreactor systems, collaborative implementation of production and commercial models for chili oil, and support for biological products to develop pig farming models aimed at reducing odors.

The HCM City High-Tech Agricultural Zone’s Management Board, Saigon Agriculture Incorporation (SAGRI), the HCM City International University, and the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities have also put forth various cooperation initiatives with the Central Highlands provinces.

At the conference, discussions took place on issues such as implementation methods for various activities and organising budgets.

The cooperation deal between the city and the Central Highlands provinces was signed last September.

Several activities have already been initiated under it, like the OCOP product week featuring regional specialties and products from various regions last October and an exhibition on cultivation and processing technologies for agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, VietGAP, and OCOP products in November.

An exchange was held also in November to discuss the use of technical advancements in building models for high-tech and biotechnological applications, and processes for cultivation, breeding, processing, and preservation of crops.

In December a workshop was held to share experiences in building models for seed development, biotechnology, urban agriculture, and high-tech agricultural applications.

Another workshop focused on the production and supply of broodstock and pig farming techniques.

The Central Highlands provinces have organised various events like the Buôn Ma Thuột Coffee Festival. — VNS