A workshop on Application of Biotechnology: Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture Development was organized by the Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development Association on December 1, 2017 at Fortuna Hotel, Hanoi.

Speaking at the seminar, Dr. Nguyen Tri Ngoc, Vice President and General Secretary of Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development Association, emphasized the great role of biotechnology in socio-economic development, as well as improving the lives of farmers and responding to climate change. In the Prime Minister's decision to approve the agricultural restructuring plan, biotechnology applications in agriculture is regarded as a breakthrough solution for the development of agriculture in a comprehensive modern direction. However, Dr. Ngoc explained that the current application of biotechnology is not commensurate with its potential to help meet the demand for agricultural production.

Presenting the importance of biotechnology in agriculture, Prof. Le Huy Ham from the Institute of Agricultural Genetics said that biotechnology helps speed up the seed production, thereby increasing labor productivity and reducing costs. Biotech crops are resistant to pests, herbicides, can tolerate stressful conditions, produce good yields, hence reducing the use of plant protection chemicals, protecting the environment, ensuring food security and adapting to climate change.

The workshop attendees include representatives of enterprises in Vietnam who have been researching and applying biotechnology in agricultural production such as Veterinary Medicine Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (HANVET), Syngenta Group, and Nam Hung Group.

For more information, read the original article in Vietnamese.