HO CHI MINH CITY, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology has urged farmers in the southern Mekong Delta to embrace technology to develop smart agriculture, Vietnam News Agency reported Monday.
Using advanced technologies for growing crops, harvesting, processing and post-harvest preservation would improve productivity and quality, reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and contribute to making agriculture sustainable, said Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Van Tung.
Prof. Nguyen Bao Ve, former head of Can Tho University's agriculture faculty, said communication is the main requirement in changing the mindsets of farmers. Farmers these days need to master the use of agricultural machinery and know how to use technology, he said.
The Mekong Delta plays an important role in Vietnam's agricultural production, contributing 55 percent of the country's rice output, 69 percent of seafood and 70 percent of fruits, accounting for more than 90 percent of rice exports and 60 percent of seafood exports. But much of it is sold as raw products at low prices.
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