The Netherlands supports Vietnam in transforming agriculture sector

At the reception, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan expressed gratitude to the Dutch government for its cooperation and support in a number of successful projects and programs in the fields of husbandry, cultivation, natural disaster management, food safety, water resources, and sustainable agricultural transformation in the Mekong Delta.

The Netherlands is Vietnam's second largest trading partner in the EU bloc regarding agro-forestry-fisheries trade. The Netherlands' development model is deemed suited for Vietnam in light of climate change.

Minister Le Minh Hoan acknowledged that Vietnam's agriculture has benefited significantly from professionals educated abroad, including a Netherlands alumna. They drew inspiration and knowledge from the Netherlands in order to promote the growth of agriculture in Vietnam.

Ms. Elsbeth Akkerman, the Netherlands' ambassador to Vietnam, believes that sustainable and innovative development are two major elements of Vietnam-Netherlands agricultural cooperation and the two countries' strategic partnership agreement.

In 2010, the two nations created a Strategic Partnership on Climate Change Adaptation and Water Management, and in 2014, they inked an agreement on sustainable agriculture and food security. According to the Dutch ambassador, these agreements have laid the groundwork for future collaboration and have paved the way for the development and establishment of a model of agricultural transformation in the Mekong Delta.

She expressed gratitude to MARD and affiliated entities for assisting Dutch businesses in Can Tho in keeping operational during the Covid-19 epidemic. The Netherlands also expressed gratitude to the Ministry for supporting collaboration between two flagship firms, De Heus and Masan, in order to increase the efficiency of agricultural feed production.

The Dutch Ambassador stated that the Netherlands has always been and will continue to be one of Vietnam's core partners via strategic cooperation agreements in critical sectors such as agricultural transformation.

She also mentioned the Mekong Delta business platform between Vietnam and the Netherlands, which has an office in the Mekong Delta and aims to connect businesses engaged in manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, and transportation in order to promote public-private partnerships in Vietnam and the Mekong Delta.

The Ambassador urged MARD to support initiatives via the Netherlands' three-year program "Water Partner" to maintain water security and safety, emphasizing the close relationship between food production and biosecurity.

Minister Le Minh Hoan reaffirmed the Netherlands' position as one of Vietnam's most significant agricultural partners. According to the minister, the most significant difficulty facing Vietnam's agriculture in general and the Mekong Delta in particular is not climate change, but rather the lack of understanding among Mekong Delta officials and farmers.

According to the Minister, with the help and participation of the Netherlands, which has extensive experience dealing with nature's harshness, the Mekong Delta will not only overcome the problem of climate change, but will also demonstrate its capacity to overcome obstacles.

The Minister desired that FDI businesses in the agriculture sector from across the globe, including the Netherlands, could collaborate with domestic enterprises and cooperatives to establish a supply chain and mutual assistance.