The U.S. and the UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) as well as the international community will assist Vietnam in restructuring its agriculture in a bid to help the country integrate into the world, said American Ambassador David Shear to the communist nation. The U.S. diplomat made this statement at an annual meeting of the International Support Group (ISG 2013) organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hanoi on Dec 12. At the event, Ambassador Shear and Mr. Jong Ha Bea, head of the FAO’s representative office in Vietnam, evaluated the results of Vietnam’s agriculture after the country became a member of the world trade organization (WTO) in 2007. The sector has helped the country maintain stable growth and contributed to the world food security, they said. Vietnam is among the world’s leading producers and exporters of a number of agricultural products, including rice, coffee, seafood, rubber, pepper, tea and cashew. Agriculture exports are expected to bring Vietnam around $28 billion this year, up from over $27 billion last year. The sector contributes to one fifth of the country’s domestic gross products (GDP) and creates jobs for tens of millions of people. However, Vietnam needs to restructure its agriculture to raise the sector’s effectiveness and competitiveness as most Vietnamese farm produce is being exported raw at prices much lower than the world prices. The country also needs to produce in sustainable ways to reduce costs, enhance product quality and protect the environment. Vietnam’s agriculture is the most vulnerable sector, facing fierce competition if the country joins Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-country economic bloc led by the U.S. in the Asia-Pacific region. (Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today Dec 13 p15)
