The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held meeting with JICA Vietnam regarding agricultural cooperation projects.

On the morning of September 19, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep welcomed and worked with the leaders of JICA Vietnam. Both sides had important discussions regarding the Ben Tre water management project (JICA3) and the Coastal Mekong Delta provinces irrigation system improvement project (JICA5).

Regarding the JICA3 project, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister to adjust the investment policy by reducing the project's scale to ensure sufficient loan funds for implementation. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is in charge of appraising the pre-feasibility study report. As of now, MARD is still awaiting the Ministry of Planning and Investment's report on the appraisal results.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is currently requesting that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development collaborate in preparing a report to explain the reason for the increased total investment while reducing the project's scale. The leadership of MARD stated that the ministry will take responsibility for this issue and is committed to submitting it to the Prime Minister by September 2024.

Once the Prime Minister approves the adjustment to the project's investment policy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will immediately complete the necessary legal procedures in accordance with regulations to begin construction on the salinity prevention sluices under the JICA3 project (An Hoa, Thu Cuu, Ben Tre, Cai Quao). The goal is to start the bidding process for the project within this year.

Regarding the project "Improving irrigation systems in coastal provinces of the Mekong Delta to adapt to climate change" (JICA5), the project is currently progressing very smoothly. After the Prime Minister approved the JICA5 project proposal in April 2024, the Prime Minister allocated funds to prepare a Pre-Feasibility Study in August 2024.

Currently, the JICA5 project is still in the stage of preparing investment policies. However, some anticipated issues could affect the implementation schedule, such as the multi-stage process required for preparing ODA projects, which takes a lot of time. The project content must simultaneously meet domestic regulations on public investment, project management and construction, as well as technical criteria and safety policies set by the donor, which may prolong the time needed for finalizing, reviewing and approving project documents.

Therefore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to submit the Pre-Feasibility Study for the Prime Minister's approval in August 2025 and anticipates approving the investment project in March 2026. Additionally, MARD requests that the Government of Japan commit to providing ODA funds immediately after the investment policy is established.

At the meeting, Takebayashi Yoko, Deputy Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam, said that JICA Vietnam has been closely monitoring and urging the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to expedite the approval process for the project policy.

"Regarding the JICA3 project, JICA expresses its desire to start bidding for this project as soon as possible. We hope to commence bidding by late 2025 or early 2026, as Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep has mentioned. For the JICA5 project, my team and I, along with JICA Vietnam staff, visited the site to compile and summarize the project's scale and the necessity of its investment. After the visit, we prepared a report for the Japanese Embassy and the Embassy acknowledged the importance of JICA5. Additionally, the Tokyo office has also received the report and is actively reviewing the contents proposed by JICA Vietnam", Mrs. Takebayashi Yoko informed.

Additionally, the Deputy Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam requested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development provide further information to address inquiries from relevant agencies. Specifically, regarding the construction of the culvert for the project in Soc Trang, MARD needs to share more details to ensure that the culvert system integrates effectively with the irrigation system and other infrastructure. JICA hopes that Vietnam will provide additional information on plans, strategies and action programs related to the overall development of the area and the project's contribution to these plans.

Secondly, JICA requested that Vietnam provide specific and accurate explanations about the project's impact area. This is a crucial factor, as JICA needs to report it to the government agency. Additionally, Vietnam might consider including an explanation about the application of Japanese technology in the project.

In response to Takebayashi Yoko's requests, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep committed to providing a suitable explanatory report on the project systematic, effectiveness and technology. Vietnam currently has a plan in place and will soon provide updated information on the planning and implementation for the region.

The impact area of the JICA project for culvert construction includes both directly and indirectly affected regions. Initially, the direct impact area is estimated at around 200.000 ha, with indirect impacts considered below average. Vietnam will soon provide a detailed report to JICA.

Regarding technology, materials and applications, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that Vietnam will aim to use similar methods as those in the JICA3 project.. Advanced Japanese technologies will be applied to the JICA5 project. Some technologies related to sluice gates will also be utilized, as the JICA5 project areas involve river water. The proposed site for the Ganh Hao culvert is facing issues with tidal currents, which could lead to significant erosion. Therefore, Vietnam will pay special attention to this matter.

The goal of the JICA5 project is not only to prevent salinity but also to transfer fresh water to the southern part of Ca Mau Province. Alongside JICA5, Vietnam is currently undertaking several other fresh water transfer projects for Ca Mau, particularly in Can Tho City.