ASEAN ministers to adopt 23 action plans for agriculture and forestry development
VOV.VN - The ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) are expected to approve 23 new action plans and documents in the fields of agriculture and forestry at the 40th annual AMAF meeting which opened in Hanoi on October 11.
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung |
Indeed, for most ASEAN countries, agriculture is both a reliable and consistent industry that helps ensure food security and sustainable development. Therefore, cooperation in agriculture and forestry has always been a key content of the ASEAN Economic Community, Mr Dung underscored.
The Deputy PM went on to say that agriculture is a vulnerable sector facing numerous risks. The agriculture sectors of Vietnam and of other regional countries are confronting fierce competition with other economic sectors in using resources, particularly labour, land and water resources.
He took the occasion to ask the meeting to invoke ASEAN available mechanisms like ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) to help victims of the earthquake and tsunami overcome difficulties.
The Vietnamese Deputy PM also urged the ASEAN Economic Community to put forth practical measures to take full advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is imperative for ASEAN member countries to make the most out of technological advances and apply industry 4.0 technology into agricultural production, he added.
He expressed his belief that with the concerted efforts of regional partners and each member country, the AMAF meeting will accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Community Vision as well as the Strategic Plan of Action on ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry between 2016 and 2025.
As an active member of the ASEAN Community, Vietnam takes a lead role in regional cooperation and will continue to develop feasible initiatives to improve the efficiency of ASEAN cooperation for the sustainable development of agriculture, Mr Dung said.
The 40th AMAF meeting is scheduled to approve strategies, policies and guidelines for the regional agriculture and forestry industries and propose cooperation initiatives both with partners and international organizations with a view to realizing targets of the ASEAN vision to 2025 and the UN sustainable development goals to 2030.
Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong |