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Vietnam researchers' visit to Newcastle in June
Newcastle University has teamed up with the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City, to help Vietnamese farmers boost their efficiency and the profitability of their industry, in a project funded by the British Council’s Newton Institutional Links fund.
Visiting Newcastle in June were Hoàng Văn Việt and Associate Professor Tran Tien Khai from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, and Dr Nguyen Thi Quynh Thuan, Head of Department of Horticulture at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences for Southern Vietnam.
They met with academics from Newcastle University’s Business School and School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and visited the university’s farm at Cockle Park to try out some of the high-tech precision farming techniques being trialled there.
Agriculture is an extremely important sector within the Vietnamese economy, employing around 48% of the workforce, but value added per worker is very low. The application of precision agriculture has the potential to increase yields and quality of produce. This would provide opportunities for marketing Vietnamese produce globally.
Dr Carmen Hubbard, Lecturer in the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, said: “We are working with our Vietnamese colleagues in both the academic sector and in their government departments. The project aims to build links between Newcastle University and the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City to investigate how precision farming techniques could be applied more widely and what the current barriers to that are, what opportunities exist for building brands and penetrating international markets, and how the agri-food sector could be helping to build and strengthen the country’s economy.
“By addressing systematically how the agri-food sector produces food and also developing a better understanding of consumer demands, not just nationally but internationally, Vietnamese producers could become much more competitive, which would help to raise the standard of living for everyone in Vietnam.”
Last modified: Wed, 12 Apr 2017 10:33:52 BST
