It is no exaggeration when we call Vietnam's agricultural sector a "giant" on the international agricultural market. But it is a giant with an Achilles heel, because the top agricultural exports, rice, coffee and tea, are not based on the achievements of scientific and technological research in agriculture.
A recent summary report of the Department of Science, Technology and Environment - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in the period 2006-2014 showed that the programme of biotechnology in agriculture- fisheries had deployed 214 scientific and technological tasks with a total budget of more than VND550 billion. There were 25 pilot projects of new plant varieties which were recognized trial production.
However, the practical application of the programme primarily focused on new varieties, microorganism preparations, seedlings and some other products. For areas such as husbandry, veterinary, forestry, industrial plants, genetically modified crops etc, there were no results of practical application. In the fisheries, the research results were only to produce intermediate products without the research, production of the final product.
As an agricultural "powerhouse" with increased continuously exports in recent years, but the varieties of plants, animals remain dependent on imports.
Despite nearly 10 years of implementation of key programmes development and application of biotechnology in the field of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are a few scientists who have access to world class biotech tech. For these sectors needed to improve the quality and production of agricultural products in a sustainable manner, there was the lack of scientific products. So far, Vietnam has not formed a biotechnology industry, the result is just initial, said Mr Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In an era where the country has been building and developing Bio-based Economy, the weakness of scientific and technological research for agriculture is the Achilles heel of Vietnam agriculture. According to Ralph W.F. Hardy, American biochemist, who had many years of research on biotechnology and has received many prestigious awards in the field, in the 21st century, the Bio-based Economy would play a similar role like the economy based on fossil fuel in the 20th century. Replacing fossil fuels will be the materials of agricultural origin. We would create the fuel and chemical products and other materials.
As an agricultural country, to be able to compete effectively in the context of international economic integration, Vietnam must apply biotechnology for plant breeding, livestock and fisheries for manufacturing efficiency and sustainability. Vietnam also needs to focus on the reorganization of production, formation of chain link, as the basis for promoting the application of science and engineering, technology, enhance productivity, quality and efficiency in production items which have the advantage. It is the path of agricultural development in Vietnam in the new period - Minister Cao Duc Phat said.
Nguyen Thanh
Vietnamese
