Dutch and Vietnamese businesses cooperate for sustainable development in the Mekong Delta

This is an activity within the framework of the visit to Vietnam of the 140-member Dutch Business Delegation led by Ms. C. van der WalZegglink, Minister of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality, and Mr. Mark Harbes, Minister of Dutch Infrastructure and Water Management, who takes the lead.

Many prospects and potential

According to the newly signed cooperation content, the two sides will build small-scale shrimp and pangasius farming cooperatives in Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ca Mau, and Bac Lieu, capable of mobilizing capital; improving product value chains by increasing access to vaccination; and improving knowledge, skills, and access to technology in the aquaculture sector.

In addition, businesses from the two countries will cooperate in aquaculture based on mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta and launch a sustainable mangrove shrimp farming facility with a loan worth 15 million USD, expanding organic shrimp farming from the shrimp supply of 3,000 shrimp farming households on an area of 10,000 hectares.

The two sides also implemented a food supply chain to meet the growing demand for sustainable products in Europe, creating more business opportunities for Dutch agricultural companies in Vietnam through the platform. Innovative information technology platform.

There is also a project to deploy a comprehensive farming process with seed treatment and product preservation techniques as part of an integrated rice growing strategy to achieve 1 million hectares of high-quality rice, supported by a loan worth 90 million USD. Especially the signing of investment terms worth 1 million euros to increase adaptation to climate change, comprehensiveness, and diversity for sustainable agriculture in the Mekong Delta...

Collaborative projects aim to bring new business opportunities, create long-term jobs, and promote sustainable economic development activities, balancing aquaculture productivity with mangrove conservation and bringing benefits to ecosystems and communities, thereby concretizing the strategic partnership in the field of water and climate between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

Mr. Mark Harbes, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands, said that the signing of cooperation between the two sides this time will contribute to building a sustainable food supply chain and Vietnam's agricultural export efforts. Nam to the Dutch and European markets, as well as bringing Dutch products closer to Vietnamese consumers.

“We are very happy to be present in a beautiful country like Vietnam. The two countries have similarities in that they both have deltas and large rivers flowing through them. Therefore, we also share the same challenges, such as climate change, rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, and the burden of urbanization and industrialization. The Netherlands has 50 years of experience in water governance, as does Vietnam. But those experiences today are not enough; how can we take appropriate actions in the future? "said Mr. Mark Harbes.

Opportunity and challenge

Attending the forum, Mr. Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said that in Vietnam, the Mekong Delta contributes about 56% of rice output, 70% of aquaculture output, and 64% of fruit production, of which a large proportion is exported. Currently, this region is facing challenges of climate change, environment, and market prices, causing great pressure on agricultural production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is focusing on restructuring the agricultural sector towards improving product quality, enhancing value, and living with climate change. According to Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam, the Ministry has had fundamental solutions in the fields of agricultural production, including three main solutions that call on businesses from both countries to participate.

“We are focusing on synchronizing the mechanization of agricultural production stages to reduce manual labor and improve productivity. The second is to focus on digitalization for application in production and traceability to ensure product quality. We are also developing a project to submit to the government on building an agricultural logistics chain to reduce costs and increase added value. Those are the three key contents; we hope businesses will participate," said Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam.

At the discussion session, delegates from the two countries had group discussions on three topics: "sweet solutions for salty challenges," "digital delta," and "delta connection." Many Dutch businesses want to cooperate with Vietnam towards green trade and investment, enforce EU regulations applicable to products exported to EU countries, and optimize the supply chain to be able to better adapt to climate change.

Director of VCCI Can Tho Nguyen Phuong Lam said that the 1 million hectares of rice project that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has just implemented aims to create conditions for Vietnam's rice industry in general and the Mekong Delta, in particular, to move towards a large, much-needed production industry. participation of businesses. Currently, businesses in the Mekong Delta are limited by access to technology, the effects of climate change, and many other impacts, and they need support in science and technology, especially from the Netherlands, to help the Mekong Delta. develop.

“The 18 cooperation agreements all focus on technology issues, logistics fields, and industry value chains. We need cooperation not only in the Mekong Delta but also with businesses outside the region, in Vietnam, especially international cooperation, including the Netherlands, a country with a lot of experience in water treatment, treating land for reclamation, helping the Mekong Delta develop in agriculture, as well as logistics and international trade," Mr. Nguyen Phuong Lam added.