In addition to introducing some genetically modified crop varieties into production, Vietnam will move towards successfully applying cloning technology in animals… The goal is to reach the level of leading ASEAN countries in agricultural biotechnology by 2020.
These are the key objectives outlined in the Priority Program for the Development and Application of Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development by 2020, which was recently approved by the Prime Minister on January 12th.
The overall aim of the program is to create new crop varieties, livestock breeds, microbial strains, and agricultural biotechnology products that are high-yielding, of superior quality, and economically efficient, effectively meeting the needs for restructuring the economy in agriculture and rural development. The program also emphasizes enhancing the quality and competitiveness of agricultural products, rapidly increasing the proportion of processed agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. Accordingly, by 2020, agricultural biotechnology is expected to make significant contributions to increasing the value of the agricultural sector.
With an annual budget of 100 billion VND allocated by the state for the program, the Prime Minister has called for the formation and strong development of the agricultural biotechnology industry, establishing a favorable market to encourage enterprises to invest in the production of key industrial goods.
The program will also focus on the production, trading, and services related to products generated through agricultural biotechnology in several important areas, such as: the seed production industry; microbiology; livestock breeding; production of organic fertilizers and pesticides; and the production of vaccines for treating plant and animal diseases, as well as post-harvest preservation.
Alongside these initiatives, there will be efforts to complete and put into operation two key laboratories for animal cell technology (under the Livestock Institute) and plant cell technology (under the Agricultural Genetics Institute, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences).
