Vietnam joins regional economic forum

Jakarta, April 21 (VNA) – A delegation led by Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat attended the Asian Development Forum that opened on April 19 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event is part of the framework for the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia, which is taking place from April 19-21 in Indonesia. Addressing the event, the minister highlighted the achievements Vietnam has attained from the “new vision in agriculture” initiative that was initiated at the Ho Chi Minh City-based WEF in 2010. They include the successful implementation of sustainable and skillful agricultural production through cooperation between some 10,000 farmers and international groups, including Unilever, Nestle, Metro Cash and Carry, and Pepsico. The approach has proven effective, with a great number of Vietnamese agricultural products having penetrated international markets, Phat said. Vietnam’s agricultural sector accounts for 20 percent of nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), with the annual export value exceeding 31 billion USD. It also creates jobs for half of the nation’s labour force, according to Phat. In another meeting the same day, the minister told participants about Vietnam’s experience in applying the private-public partnership model when developing agriculture. He said that through creative and long-term thinking, the sector aims to increase productivity and profit, while minimising water use and greenhouse gas emissions.