ID :
48811
Wed, 03/04/2009 - 06:59
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http://m.oananews.org//node/48811
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Food security programme will stop hunger by 2012
Hanoi (VNA/VNS) - A draft plan entitled "National food security to 2020 with a
vision to 2030" has been submitted to the Government by the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development (MARD) to address national food security and to develop
exports in the face of decreasing farmland.
According to the plan's targets, the country will have eliminated hunger in certain
localities by 2012, raised the level of food security in localities which may faced
risks of hunger, improve daily nutrition for residents and reduced malnutrition
among children under five to less than 5 percent by 2020.
Although Vietnam is the second largest rice exporter in the world there remain
risks that threaten food stability in the near future, according to MARD.
The plan states that at least 3.5 million ha will be used for rice cultivation by
2020. Of this, 3.1 million ha are planned for wet rice cultivation. The plan aims to
ensure an output of 39-41 million tonnes of rice per year to secure food security
for the country's projected population of 100 million in 2020 and 130 million in
2030.
The plan also states that 1.3 million ha of land will be used for corn cultivation
by 2020.
MARD determines that the area for rice cultivation must be preserved at any cost,
especially in areas with good soil.
To implement the plan, head of MARD's Cultivation Department Nguyen Tri Ngoc said it
is necessary to revise the Land Law, specifically to limit the autonomy for local
authorities to use rice-growing areas for other land uses.
The plan also encourages the development of infrastructure, industry, services and
urbanisation projects on land not currently used for agriculture in an effort to
maintain farmland.
Ngoc said many provinces, such as Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Thai Binh, are
currently trying to attract investors at the expense of rice cultivation areas.
According to Deputy Director of Thai Binh province's Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development Tran Xuan Dinh, the province has sacrificed about 5,000 ha of
rice-growing areas to build industrial zones.
It is important to protect rice growing areas, because suitable soil accumulates
over thousands of years, according to Dinh.
"We cannot use technology to turn just any soil into rice cultivation soil. The soil
is created through a natural alluvium deposit process over time. Land that serves
industry cannot be turned back later to grow rice, he said.
The State should have a suitable policy for farmers, such as investment in
re-planning irrigation systems, upgrading canals, and applying new crop strains and
technologies, he added.
To successfully implement the plan, MARD proposed to set up a national food security
committee to be headed by a Deputy Prime Minister.
It asked the State to continue to exempt irrigation fees for all rice cultivation
areas and to develop small irrigation projects in mountainous areas to grow rice.
Vietnam is not currently facing a food shortage, said head of MARD's Institute
for Food Crops Nguyen Tri Hoan.
" Vietnam 's agriculture output is very high, and the country can be described as
a leader in rice, fisheries and coffee production," he said.
According to MARD, the country's food crop production has increased rapidly in
recent years - from 38.1 million tonnes in 2000 to 52.4 million tonnes last year.
However, the country still has 1 million ethnic people in mountainous areas that
frequently face a shortage of rice that forces them to supplement their daily meals
with corn or cassava.
MARD attributes the shortage to differing conditions of rice cultivation among
regions. Moreover, the food distribution system in remote and rural areas is
ineffective.
The country will need about 47 million tonnes of crop food in 2010, including 31.1
million tonnes of rice - an increase of 3.3 million tonnes compared to 2007.
The country now has 4.1 million ha of land devoted to rice cultivation. Under the
Government's development plan, the country will need about 600,000ha more for
infrastructure, industry, services and urbanisation projects from now to 2020.
As a result, areas for rice cultivation will be reduced to 3.5 million ha in
2020.-Enditem
vision to 2030" has been submitted to the Government by the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development (MARD) to address national food security and to develop
exports in the face of decreasing farmland.
According to the plan's targets, the country will have eliminated hunger in certain
localities by 2012, raised the level of food security in localities which may faced
risks of hunger, improve daily nutrition for residents and reduced malnutrition
among children under five to less than 5 percent by 2020.
Although Vietnam is the second largest rice exporter in the world there remain
risks that threaten food stability in the near future, according to MARD.
The plan states that at least 3.5 million ha will be used for rice cultivation by
2020. Of this, 3.1 million ha are planned for wet rice cultivation. The plan aims to
ensure an output of 39-41 million tonnes of rice per year to secure food security
for the country's projected population of 100 million in 2020 and 130 million in
2030.
The plan also states that 1.3 million ha of land will be used for corn cultivation
by 2020.
MARD determines that the area for rice cultivation must be preserved at any cost,
especially in areas with good soil.
To implement the plan, head of MARD's Cultivation Department Nguyen Tri Ngoc said it
is necessary to revise the Land Law, specifically to limit the autonomy for local
authorities to use rice-growing areas for other land uses.
The plan also encourages the development of infrastructure, industry, services and
urbanisation projects on land not currently used for agriculture in an effort to
maintain farmland.
Ngoc said many provinces, such as Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Thai Binh, are
currently trying to attract investors at the expense of rice cultivation areas.
According to Deputy Director of Thai Binh province's Department of Agriculture and
Rural Development Tran Xuan Dinh, the province has sacrificed about 5,000 ha of
rice-growing areas to build industrial zones.
It is important to protect rice growing areas, because suitable soil accumulates
over thousands of years, according to Dinh.
"We cannot use technology to turn just any soil into rice cultivation soil. The soil
is created through a natural alluvium deposit process over time. Land that serves
industry cannot be turned back later to grow rice, he said.
The State should have a suitable policy for farmers, such as investment in
re-planning irrigation systems, upgrading canals, and applying new crop strains and
technologies, he added.
To successfully implement the plan, MARD proposed to set up a national food security
committee to be headed by a Deputy Prime Minister.
It asked the State to continue to exempt irrigation fees for all rice cultivation
areas and to develop small irrigation projects in mountainous areas to grow rice.
Vietnam is not currently facing a food shortage, said head of MARD's Institute
for Food Crops Nguyen Tri Hoan.
" Vietnam 's agriculture output is very high, and the country can be described as
a leader in rice, fisheries and coffee production," he said.
According to MARD, the country's food crop production has increased rapidly in
recent years - from 38.1 million tonnes in 2000 to 52.4 million tonnes last year.
However, the country still has 1 million ethnic people in mountainous areas that
frequently face a shortage of rice that forces them to supplement their daily meals
with corn or cassava.
MARD attributes the shortage to differing conditions of rice cultivation among
regions. Moreover, the food distribution system in remote and rural areas is
ineffective.
The country will need about 47 million tonnes of crop food in 2010, including 31.1
million tonnes of rice - an increase of 3.3 million tonnes compared to 2007.
The country now has 4.1 million ha of land devoted to rice cultivation. Under the
Government's development plan, the country will need about 600,000ha more for
infrastructure, industry, services and urbanisation projects from now to 2020.
As a result, areas for rice cultivation will be reduced to 3.5 million ha in
2020.-Enditem
