Mekong Delta plans hi-tech moves

The Mekong Delta region seeks to improve agricultural production and seafood processing by increasing partnerships with countries that have expertise in advanced technologies, the director of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Can Tho chapter has said.

Speaking at the fourth annual Mekong Delta Investment Conference that began yesterday in Can Tho, Vo Hung Dung said the delta region “has great demand for agricultural mechanization and smart technologies development”.

With favorable conditions for agriculture, the delta “plays an essential role in the country’s socio-economic development,” he added.

The conference aims to promote cutting-edge technologies and improve cooperation between delta firms and foreign partners in hi-tech agricultural trade and investment.

Harvesting and packing rice in Cho Moi district, An Giang province

The event, which ended on November 13, is also showcasing agricultural technology machinery and equipment from Japanese companies.

Yuichi Nishizawa, of Tokyo-based Vox Trading Co. Ltd., which exports rice powder, said the conference was a platform for his company to introduce smart technologies in food processing.

Truong Quang Hoai Nam, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee, said the Mekong Delta had an advantageous geographical position and abundant natural resources, and that the business environment had improved since 2009.

The region supplies more than 90 percent of the nation’s rice and 50 percent of seafood, as well as many other agro-forestry-fishery exports every year.

In the next 10 years, the region’s economy is expected to achieve a high growth rate, supported by the rapid improvement of transport and electronics as well as low labour costs and an abundant food supply.

Vo Hung Dung said investment prospects in the region’s food sector were relatively high, considering the many free trade agreements Vietnam had already signed, including the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) and the Vietnam-European Union Free Trade Agreement.

In addition, Dung pointed out that there were many challenges facing the region, especially the agriculture sector, including climate change.

Dung also said the use of advanced technologies in agricultural production and processing to add value was still limited.

The rate of mechanization in agriculture remains modest and is only 65 percent for rice harvesting.

“These factors have resulted in low productivity, value addition and competitiveness,” Dung said.

Every year, rice farmers in the region have incurred a loss of more than VND 3.2 trillion (USD 143.32 million) during post-harvest due to a low rate of mechanization, according to the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute.

Takimoto Koji, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organization, said the delta, with a location between Hong Kong and Singapore, had great potential to become a logistics center in Asia.

“The region has not had enough foreign investment, but it has become more attractive to Japanese companies for its fertile land, low labor costs, improved transport infrastructure and well-developed industrial zones,” Koji told Viet Nam News.

Last year, Vietnam and Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in agriculture, he said.

Under the MoU, both countries have organized survey groups and held a networking exhibition to improve cooperation in agriculture, especially high-quality farm produce.

Foreign investment

The Mekong Delta is currently calling for investment in 50 projects in agriculture, with a projected total investment of USD 1.385 billion, according to VCCI Can Tho.

Dung said more and more foreign investors were coming to the delta to explore business opportunities, adding that foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region had increased sharply in recent years.

As of last year, FDI in the region had reached 13 percent of the country’s total FDI, a sharp rise from 5 percent recorded for many years, according to the agency.

FDI reached USD 1.67 billion in the first nine months, accounting for 10.2 percent of the country’s total FDI.

As of last month, the region had attracted 50 agricultural projects with total registered capital of USD 209.64 million.

Hong Kong is the biggest investor with five projects worth USD 67.93 million, followed by Taiwan with nine projects worth USD 41.98 million, Japan with five projects worth USD 30.02 million, Australia with seven projects worth USD 19.85 million, two American projects worth USD 11.96 million and Israel with one project worth USD 5.2 million.

Nguyen Khanh Tung, director of the Can Tho Center for Investment, Trade and Expo Promotion, said that 27 foreign delegations with 100 business executives had visited the Delta this year, most of them from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and India.

RoK investors have expressed interest in high-tech agriculture, food and beverage processing, with some Korean companies keen to make Can Tho a smart city, he said.

Japanese investors are particularly interested in agriculture and tourism.

The conference was co-organized by VCCI Can Tho and the Mekong Delta Club of Promotion Centers for trade, investment and tourism.

The event has attracted 350 local and international delegates, including delegates from Japan, the UK, the Netherlands, the US, Canada, the RoK, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.