The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development hosted an international forum in Hanoi on November 21 to promote new rural development in Vietnam for 2016-2020.

Speaking at the event, Director of the ministry’s Department of International Cooperation Tran Kim Long said the National Target Program on New Rural Development for 2016-2020 sets the key goal of devising synchronous policies and special mechanisms for poor and climate change-hit areas, diversifying social resources for the effort, particularly official development assistance and technical support from foreign partners.

Chief Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Vietnam Jong Ha-bae hailed fruitful results of the 2010-2015 program, citing improved power supply, road and school infrastructure and health care service. However, he admitted that poor farmers still lack credit access and agriculture insurance while the rates of poor households in several areas remain high.

At the forum

Jong said FAO will continue providing government support to Vietnam’s agriculture, building evidence-based policies targeting food and nutrition security, strengthen approaches to sustainable agricultural production with a focus on economic development in tandem with environmental protection.

The FAO will offer a technical support program to Vietnam to improve income in rural areas, he said.

Carolina V.Figueroa-Geron from the World Bank (WB) said the lender has initiated the Program for Results (PforR) to assist national target programs, which is expected to improve the quality of investment in agriculture and livelihoods within the framework of the National Target Program on New Rural Development and the Program 135 as part of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction.

The PforR will give priority to helping the government with planning, implementation, monitoring and governance while providing financial assistance for small-scale infrastructure and livelihoods, contributing to enhancing productivity and added value, she said.

Source: VNA