Vietnam in top ten of Global Development Fair finals

Hanoi (VNA) - With four projects selected to progress to the final round of the Global Development Fair 2008, currently being held in Washington DC, the US, Vietnam is among the nine leaders in the event.

The Vietnamese projects are concerned with the better use of nitrogenous
fertilizers in rice cultivation, tapping wasted rice straws to produce
low-priced construction materials for farmers, floating gardens of organic
rice and flowers in the Mekong Delta and the production of fertilizers from
muck heaps.

Out of 100 projects selected to feature in the finals from 42 countries
over the world, the World Bank jury will pick some 20 projects, awarding
them an estimated 200,000 USD each to fund their execution over two years.

Vinh Sang Company CEO Nguyen Minh Quyen, the author of the rice straw
tapping project, said he uses rice straws which have often been discarded or
burnt by farmers in the Mekong Delta following harvests to produce plywood.

"The initiative has not only increased incomes for farmers but also helped
protect the environment," he explained.

Dr Phan Thi Cong, one of the architects of the project making better use
of nitrogenous fertiliser, said her four-year research on the effects of
micro-organisms on rice roots has helped reduce the volume of nitrogenous
fertiliser needed during rice cultivation.

"The project has reduced the use of the fertiliser by more than half while
the yield of rice is higher," added Dr. Phan.

The focus of this year's fair is on sustainable agriculture under the
sponsorship of the WB, in association with international partners such as
the Global Environment Fund (GEF), the International Financial Corporation
(IFC), the German Development Agency (GTZ) and the Bill & Melinda Gates
Fund.

The three-day event runs until September 26.--Enditem