A cooperation agreement signing ceremony between the Vietnam Farmer’s Union (VFU) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) phase 2016-2020 took place in Hanoi on September 7.

Chairman of the VFU Lai Xuan Mon (R) handing over a souvenir to Director of the IFAD in Vietnam Henning Pedersen

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of the VFU Lai Xuan Mon praised the remarkable outcomes of the two sides’ cooperation agreement phase 2010-2015, helping to develop the country’s agriculture substantially and environmentally friendly. He said the second phase 2016-2020 of the agreement would create a driving force for agricultural staffs and farmers, helping to increase competitiveness in the context of integration.

In return, Director of the IFAD in Vietnam Henning Pedersen said IFAD has operated effectively for the country’s agricultural and rural development in the past two decades. He also highly evaluated the fruitful affiliation between local farmers and enterprises.

The director asserted IFAD would continue to work closely with Vietnamese farmers in several aspects including resources allocation, market orientation and capacity improvement for poor households to cope with climate change.

IFAD is implementing five projects in nine provinces across Vietnam, including the project for the sustainable economic empowerment of ethnic minorities in Dak Nong province (3EM); the agriculture, farmers, and rural areas support project in the Gia Lai, Ninh Thuan, and Tuyen Quang provinces; the sustainable rural development for the poor project in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces (SRDP), the project for adaptation to climate change in the Mekong Delta in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces, among others.

Source: VNA