Vietnam pilots public-private partnerships in agriculture The Ministry of Agriculture is piloting a public-private partnership (PPP) model in agriculture with the participation of 15 trans-national groups, one official said.   Application of science and technology helps generate new crops Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development made this statement at a seminar called “Applying science and technology in agricultural production for Vietnam’s food safety, quality and sustainability”, which was held on the morning of November 29 in Hanoi. According to Doanh, in order to realise the country’s plan for agricultural restructuring, which was approved by the prime minister in June, it requires the utilisation of resources from a number of industries and economic sectors. Currently, state funding for agriculture remains modest while official development assistance (ODA) resources are on the decrease in recent years and resources from private sector and individuals are also low. “In these circumstances, PPP can play an important role as it helps utilise resources from science and technology as well as the management experience of multi-national groups and corporations,” Doanh emphasised. He said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is piloting a PPP model in agriculture in order to foster agricultural development by increasing added values and sustainable practices. The model has attracted the participation of 15 trans-national groups so far, including Metro Cash & Carry, Unilever, Nestle, Dupon, Croplife, Syngenta, and Fresh Studio. They are working to find a way to cooperate and foster the sustainable development of five industries: tea, coffee, vegetables, fisheries and commodities. They are calling for the participation of more foreign and domestic companies to realise these efforts. Dupon is working with MARD on ways to find effective ways to apply science and technology to agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture as well as enhancing food nutrition and safety in the country. Meanwhile, several other foreign companies have been working to build up professional and sustainable supply chains in the country. Vietnam targets to attain an agricultural growth rate of from 17-18% by 2015, with the sector’s expected export revenues climbing to USD30 billion per year. By 2020, the sector’s export venues are forecast to reach USD40 billion, in which agriculture will contribute USD22 billion and, for fisheries, USD11 billion.  By Thao Nguyen | dtinews.vn