Do we accept the possibility of thinking differently?

Why are jackfruit and durian from Thailand so popular in local markets?

During the dialogue, a member of the audience posed the following question to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan: "Now, Thai jackfruit, Thai-variety durian, and Thai-variety mangosteen are widely available in the market, while the local good fruiters are becoming endangered. Thus, how can we invest in agricultural research to ensure that Vietnamese mangosteen, Vietnamese durian, and Vietnamese jackfruit may one day be found in Thailand's markets...?"

According to the minister, this is a "painful and contentious" story in the realm of science and technology in our country's effort to produce plant varieties. We are even behind other nations by a generation. Even Sa Dec flower producers in Dong Thap must go to Thailand on a monthly basis to get seeds for propagation.

As a consequence, MARD developed a dedicated National Strategy for Plant Varieties and Livestock Breeding in order to increase investment in this area. We cannot tolerate being only a follower, importing and developing foreign products.

As the Minister noted, the Southern Horticultural Research Institute has successfully investigated various types over the years, but the primary challenge is commercializing scientific research goods, especially fruitier variants.

MARD will enhance public-private collaboration in the next years, inviting firms to participate in agricultural research centers, including varietal research.

Only with the zeal and intellectual prowess of the scientific team together with the vitality of the business's market will we be able to raise the fruiter variety sector. It is quite difficult to achieve if we just stand motionless and wait for each other.

Notifying the Minister via text message if a bottleneck occurs

Mr. Ho Quoc Luc (Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sao Ta Food Joint Stock Company) expressed his ideas to the agriculture sector's commander from the standpoint of a seafood processing and exporting firm.

As a consequence, MARD developed a dedicated National Strategy for Plant Varieties and Livestock Breeding in order to increase investment in this area. We cannot tolerate being only a follower, importing and developing foreign products.

As the Minister noted, the Southern Horticultural Research Institute has successfully investigated various types over the years, but the primary challenge is commercializing scientific research goods, especially fruitier variants.

MARD will enhance public-private collaboration in the next years, inviting firms to participate in agricultural research centers, including varietal research.

Only with the zeal and intellectual prowess of the scientific team together with the vitality of the business's market will we be able to raise the fruiter variety sector. It is quite difficult to achieve if we just stand motionless and wait for each other.

Notifying the Minister via text message if a bottleneck occurs

Mr. Ho Quoc Luc (Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sao Ta Food Joint Stock Company) expressed his ideas to the agriculture sector's commander from the standpoint of a seafood processing and exporting firm.

To begin, the current area designated for shrimp culture planting area codes is still quite small. This is a barrier impeding the increase in the value of Vietnamese shrimp. Because firms sometimes struggle to explain the source of their items to their customers. If this botteneck is not removed promptly, Vietnamese enterprises and our shrimp products may eventually lose their ability to earn international customers' trust and credibility.

Second, in addition to increasing the capacity of shrimp farming households and establishing shrimp farming cooperatives, MARD should consider proposing a policy to accumulate land in order to establish a shrimp farming area of hundreds of hectares in accordance with international standards, in order to increase its chances of entering the system of high-end supermarkets.

In response to the concerns made by Sao Ta's leader, Minister of MARD Le Minh Hoan said plainly: "If firms identify which regions need to be consolidated in order to construct an industrial-scale concentrated shrimp farming area but run into difficulties, they should consult with MARD directly." We will work alongside businesses to help them overcome obstacles and strive to create a model."

We will have a more convincing basis for proposing mechanisms and policies on land accumulation based on the pilot model of land accumulation between MARD.

Similarly, other firms may contact the Minister directly by text or email on a daily basis to address issues, increasing the efficiency of resolving tasks.

The notion of "minimum to maximize"

Mr. Do Cao Bang, Vice President of Greenfeed Corporation, wonders whether the scenario is due to a supply chain failure, the supply-demand tale, or other factors.

Minister Le Minh Hoan answered that agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, animal feeds, aqua feeds, and veterinary pharmaceuticals, as well as packaging materials such as styrofoam boxes, are also rising as a result of the disruption of the global value chain. This demonstrates that the Vietnamese economy lacks self-control due to its reliance on foreign supply, with certain sectors relying on foreign supply to the tune of 70% to 80%.

"We are happy to be an agricultural nation, but maize and soybeans must also be imported; this is what we need to address in order to lessen our reliance on foreign supplies," the agriculture industry's chief said.

"During a recent business trip to Europe with National Assembly President Vuong Dinh Hue, I noticed that European businesses often use the term "minimum to maximize." Because the market's invisible hand is impossible to foresee, why not lower expenses in order to increase value?

To do this, organizations must transition from single-value to multi-value integration; they must also develop circular economic models... Only 0.2 percent of coffee beans in Vietnam are utilized to make drinks. However, the Chinese have developed a USD 17 billion business by growing mushrooms in coffee pods. Following mushroom harvesting, by-products are utilized to manufacture animal feed. As a result, we have squandered a large portion (98.8 percent) of coffee's basic components.

Or, in the Mekong Delta, studies have shown that by halving seed planting, we may save 40% on fertilizers and inputs. The critical question is this: Are we willing to think differently? If others can accomplish it, so can we. MARD is prepared to activate its network of colleges and schools in order to assist companies in effecting transformation.

We must develop unique items

"The King of Pepper" Phan Minh Thong, Chairman of the Phuc Sinh Group's Board of Directors, explained that only a few years ago, coffee producers in Son La struggled to find sufficient production for each harvest. Even yet, coffee must often be brought from Son La to Lam Dong and then combined in order to sell at a profit.

When the leaders of the Phuc Sinh Group visited Son La to ascertain this, they were startled to discover that despite the area's high grade coffee material, no processing facility had been erected. The Provincial Party Secretary and President urge businesses to invest.

The Phuc Sinh Group acquired the Alabica coffee processing plant from Colombia and raw materials from individuals. After just four years, the price of coffee has doubled in Son La. Mr. Phan Minh Thong said in the preceding narrative that it is vital to have strong enough policies to attract major firms capable of investing in a large number of agricultural product processing plants directly in raw material locations. As a result, agricultural goods' supply chains are tough to disrupt.

Vietnam's "pepper king" underlined the need of each firm having unique items in order to compete in the market. At Phuc Sinh Group, a kilogram of cascara tea brewed from coffee pods costs USD 16, but a kilogram of coffee bean costs just USD 2. Additionally, following processing, the by-products are utilized to create microbial fertilizers. We also produce a variety of roasted and ground coffee products from the coffee bean for home and overseas markets.