Vietnam Agriculture Sector Competitiveness

Results achieved by the Government of Vietnam with the support of Government of Canada and other international donors/contributors as of the end of the project (May 2014) include: providing 137 research and innovative technological application packages on new production technologies environmentally sustainable practices and pest management in crop livestock and aquatic production to help smallholder farmers improve their production and post-harvest management. In the eight central provinces 98 productive partnerships were set up to link 15 000 farmer households with agri-businesses and to improve the marketability of agri-food products. More than 80 000 farmers (25% women and 9% ethnic minorities) were trained in new production technologies environmentally sustainable practices and pest management in crop livestock and aquatic production. 31% of the trained farmers were able to apply the new technology and practices. Farmer groups increased their revenues by 21.7% because of a 10% increase in selling prices and a 17% increase in productivity. In addition 95 000 farmer households reduced their transportation time from production areas to local markets by 66% transportation costs by 29% and post-harvest losses by 30.7% as a result of infrastructure projects. The proportion of fruit and vegetable samples exceeding permissible levels for chemical residues decreased by 40% (from 6.13% in 2010 to 3.7% in 2013). More than 33 000 farmer households in the seven Mekong River Delta provinces (added to the project in 2012) were trained in sustainable rice farming practices. As a result they adopted certified seeds reduced use of seeds fertilizer pesticide and reduced emission of greenhouse gases. These activities contributed to helping smallholder farmers in Central Vietnam and rice producers in the Mekong River Delta to increase their competitiveness by improving their agriculture productivity and marketability and increasing their ability to network effectively