Mekong province seeks investment in hi-tech agricultural park

Ho Chi Minh City — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Hậu Giang continues to solicit investment in its hi-tech agriculture park, including in its infrastructure.

Agricultural technologies on display on the sidelines of a conference to call for investment in Hậu Giang Province’s hi-tech agricultural park on Monday. — Photo Courtesy of baohaugiang

According to Trương Cảnh Tuyên, deputy chairman of its People’s Committee, who spoke at a conference for the purpose on Monday, the province has great potential in agriculture with over 140,000ha of arable land.

It has areas for producing safe agricultural products as well as for high-quality rice, sugarcane, pineapple, citrus fruits, and aquaculture.

It has established a 5,200ha hi-tech agricultural park in Long Mỹ District and is seeking investment in it, including for developing infrastructure.

According to Nguyễn Việt Triều, deputy director of the Hậu Giang Hi-Tech Applied Agricultural Park’s management board, the park has collaborated with local and international investors to test several biological products, carried out many scientific projects and applied their results. 

But it still lacks infrastructure and has limited funds for investment promotion.

Therefore the conference was an opportunity for the province to introduce the park's potential, advantages, investment opportunities, and investment incentives, he said.

It was also a good platform to compare notes with other localities on developing hi-tech agricultural parks and expand co-operation with local and foreign investors, he said.

He suggested the managements of hi-tech agricultural parks in other provinces and cities should share their experience with the park in transferring technologies to farmers and attracting and incubating hi-tech agricultural firms.

He called on scientists and schools to partner with the park to enable more research to be applied practically in production to increase the value of agricultural products and farmers’ incomes.

Many other issues were also discussed at the conference, including the use of automation to improve the efficiency of agriculture, producing mushrooms in climate-adapted greenhouses, linkages in agricultural production: solutions for Việt Nam's agriculture to develop effectively and sustainably, and drip irrigation: applicability for the Mekong Delta and areas that were affected by saltwater.

The event, organised by the Hậu Giang Hi-Tech Applied Agricultural Park’s management board, attracted more than 100 agriculture and rural development officials from many provinces and cities; leaders of research institutes, universities and colleges and executives from local and foreign companies.