Cần Thơ, Australia cooperate in sustainable energy and agriculture

A “safe” vegetable farming model in Cần Thơ City. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

Ho Chi Minh City — Cần Thơ seeks to cooperate with Australia in many fields, especially in sustainable energy and agriculture, said the vice chairman of Cần Thơ City’s People’s Committee at a meeting with Australian Consul General last weekend in Cần Thơ. 

Vice Chairman Trương Quang Hoài Nam pledged to continue improving the business climate to attract more investment, especially from Australia.

Karen Lanyon, Consul General of Australia in HCM City, said that Austalian investors were seeking long-term strategic parternships with Cần Thơ, the economic hub of the Mekong Delta. 

She said she hoped the city and Australia would mutually benefit by giving priority to agriculture, renewable energy, environmental protection and climate-change response. 

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has sent agronomists to the city to conduct studies and seek feasibility plans to resolve challenges in agriculture.

The plans focus on food safety, climate change, land-quality improvement and tree nutrition, market connectivity, and value increase for agricultural products and aquaculture. 

ACIAR will also support Cần Thơ in applying cutting-edge technologies to high-tech agriculture, and attracting investment from the private sector, with the aim of helping the poor in both rural and urban areas to benefit from advanced farming models. 

The centre also aims to improve the capacity of Cần Thơ farmers, agriculture officials and scientists from research and training establishments.

Under the co-operation plan, Cần Thơ will work with ACIAR to enhance agricultural product output and quality, protect land and water resources, and ensure food safety and hygiene. 

As for renewable energy, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will conduct a full and detailed report on the potential of wind power, solar power and biomass energy, and propose suitable policies. 

AER will also help the city develop a pilot project on renewable energy in hi-tech agriculture and aquaculture processing.

The project could then spread to other cities and provinces in the southwest, making Cần Thơ a pioneer of clean energy development in the Mekong Delta. 

In addition, Cần Thơ and Australia will also cooperate in clean air, greenhouse gas emissions, water drainage management and wastewater treatment projects. 

The clean air project will target inner Cần Thơ areas, including Ninh Kiều and Bình Thủy districts, and Trà Nóc 1 and Trà Nóc 2 industrial and processing zones, focusing on monitoring air quality, reviewing greenhouse gas emissions and building an action plan.

In addition, Australian experts will study water drainage in the locality and work out proper solutions.