JICA Keen to Support Clean Agriculture Value Chains

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) wishes to provide support to Vietnam’s agricul sector to build clean agricultural value chains, according to Mr. Hiroyuki Sakuma, Project Advisor of the Technical Cooperation Project on Development Planning of the Agriculture Sector in Nghe An. At a conference on Vietnam’s Agricultural Business Mission held by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Hanoi on February 14, he also spoke of projects in food value chains through cooperation between northern Nghe An province and JICA, which will link producers and sellers of agricultural products and improve product value. Mr. Sakuma believes that Vietnam, especially Nghe An, has major potential to develop agriculture in the future. “Rice, tea, nuts and chicken are specialties of both Vietnam and Nghe An,” he added. He also identified difficulties facing Vietnam regarding agricultural development, specifically building value food chains. Various agricultural enterprises attended the conference. Mr. Nguyen Danh Nhan, Director of the Central Agricultural Corporation, said the gathering represented a good opportunity to link Vietnamese and Japanese enterprises. Cooperation between the two countries is of a balanced nature. Along with seed companies and plant protection products, there are banks that support agricultural enterprises and improve trust. Mr. Atsusuke Kawada, Chief Representative of JETRO in Hanoi, emphasized that there is a wave of agri-businesses seeking investment opportunities in Vietnam. “Japan is aging while demand for food remains high,” he said. “Vietnam, with its young population and favorable climate for agriculture, is therefore an ideal destination for agri-investors from Japan.” Japanese businesses appreciate the political and social stability in Vietnam and consider it the greatest advantage in its investment environment. There are various Japanese enterprises and Vietnamese enterprises in the agriculture sector, including Agricare Vietnam and HongHaFood. They discussed and explained agricultural projects and identify cooperative opportunities in the future. JETRO also released the “Investment Situation of Japanese Enterprises in Vietnam 2016” report at the conference. According to the report, 62.8% of the more than 600 businesses participating in the survey said they are profitable, up 58.8% compared to 2015. The result is higher than in Thailand and Indonesia but lower than in the Philippines and China. (VietnamNet Feb 16)