HANOI, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Thursday called for developing organic and smart farming with the involvement of private businesses and cooperatives, pledging to introduce to the world Vietnam's clean farm produce.
Phuc made the remarks while addressing a launching ceremony of a high-tech agricultural fair in Vietnam's northern Ha Nam province, some 60 km south of capital Hanoi.
The project, invested by Vietnam's private VinGroup at a cost of nearly 300 billion Vietnamese dong (13 million U.S. dollars) in over 180 hectares, included a large-scale model field and greenhouse area using Israeli technology and manufacturing facilities.
Phuc described agriculture as an economic pillar of Vietnam and asked the central bank to increase the value of preferential credit package, from 60 trillion Vietnamese dong to 100 trillion Vietnamese dong (2.6-4.34 billion U.S. dollars), to high-tech agriculture firms.
Meanwhile, it is required to develop labor forces to help expand markets, popularize trademarks and improve packaging, thus ensuring stable consumption, Vietnam's state-run news agency VNA quoted Phuc as saying.
The PM also suggested further encouraging start-ups operating in agriculture and enhancing technology transfer.
