Hybrid corn seeds dominate fields in Vietnam

Hybrid corn prepared to be harvested (Photo:VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – All corn fields in Vietnam use hybrid seeds, with the volume of seeds used for annual production amounting to about 20,000 tonnes, said the Plantation Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Since 2014, Vietnam has permitted the cultivation of GMO corn, with 16 types allowed to date.

As of March 2017, Vietnam has imported 1,500 tonnes of GMO corn seeds, which can cover 100,000 hectares of land.

In 2016, corn plantation areas covered 1.15 million hectares nationwide and yearly output exceeded 5.2 million tonnes in total. Most of the plants are grown in the northern midland and mountainous regions, accounting for 46 percent of the total area.

Vietnam’s average corn production is at 45.5 quintals per hectare, lower than the global and Asian averages