The Vietnam government is implementing an ambitious agriculture sector transformation program and is partnering with foreign players in order to progress on its technical and industrial capabilities.
To develop its marine aquaculture industry, Vietnam has signed a cooperative agreement with Norway in May 2021 wherein Norway will conduct aquaculture training programs and introduce modern technology and management structure that will strengthen and enhance industrial-scale fish farming in Vietnam.
Vietnam, with a coastline of more than 3,260 kilometers (2,026 miles) and numerous islands and bays, has set a target of becoming one of the world’s leaders in marine aquaculture production. Vietnam considers Norway, along with Denmark, Japan, the United States, and Australia its major partners in developing its ocean aquaculture sector. In its draft strategy for marine aquaculture through 2045, the country is targeting marine aquaculture production of 850,000 metric tons (MT) by 2025, with an export value of approximately USD 1 billion (EUR 817 million). According to the plan, Vietnam is planning to ramp up its marine aquaculture production to 1.45 million MT by 2030, with an export value of up to USD 2 billion (EUR 1.6 billion).
Separately, in May 2021, Vietnam also signed an agreement to extend a Swis-funded project titled “Remote Sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in emerging Economies (RIICE)”. RIICE provides a wide range of maps and data for rice monitoring and crop insurance. Utilizing remote sensing technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and its provincial departments can implement RIICE to improve their rice monitoring and disaster risk management in crop production. At the same time, RIICE enables upgrading and expanding agricultural insurance for smallholder farmers.
Currently used in seven provinces throughout Vietnam, it has the potential for nationwide upscaling without major additional investment. RIICE is a public-private partnership sponsored by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. It is jointly implemented by Swiss-based technology company sarmap, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the National Institute for Agriculture Projection and Planning (NIAPP), Can Tho University (CTU), and in cooperation with insurance companies such as Bao Viet Insurance, Bao Minh Insurance, Vina Re and Swiss Re.
(Sources: SeafoodSource; Vietnam Times)
