A potato production model at Nam Cường Cooperative, Ninh Binh Province. — Photo from Kim Dung

HÀ NỘI — Researchers and experts from eight Asian countries have established a new forum to advance cooperation on root and tuber crop production.

The initiative was formally launched in Hà Nội on Friday, after four days of meetings and field visits in Việt Nam.

Delegates came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, the Philippines and Việt Nam.

In Đà Lạt in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, participants visited research facilities and businesses in the vegetable and flower sectors and discussed potato production, crop research and breeding. 

They highlighted the need for varieties that can better withstand climate change and disease.

The group also visited the rice and potato farming model at Nam Cường Cooperative in the northern province of Ninh Bình, which includes about 1,600 farming households. 

Delegates learned about production practices, farm mechanisation, the use of agricultural by-products and crop storage, and exchanged views with farmers and cooperative members.

Dr Trần Minh Tiến, deputy director of the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said stronger regional cooperation would help countries address shared agricultural challenges.

Delegates proposed joint research and developed an action plan for future cooperation. The forum aims to create an ongoing network for sharing expertise and setting common research priorities.

Its initial phase will run from August 2026 to April 2027, with field visits, online exchanges and joint planning. — VNS