PM Dung calls on An Giang granary to go hi-tech

An Giang (VNA) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has called on An Giang to apply
scientific and technological advances to agricultural production to improve their
product values.

The government leader made the call on March 18 while working with leaders of the
Mekong Delta province, which is the nation's largest producer of rice and aquatic
products.

"It is also urgent for the province to speed up electrification of agricultural
production in an effort to reduce costs and increase productivity," Dung added.

He called on the nation's leading fresh-water fish producer to combine aquaculture
with processing industry so as to sustain high growth and ensure exports' quality.

The PM raised concerns over the province's lack of skilled workforce where just 25
percent of the workforce underwent training and only 17 percent of the trained
people received certificates. The Government leader urged the province to increase
investment in building vocational training schools and upgrading the An Giang
University.

The Prime Minister instructed provincial authorities to speed up the disbursement
of 2009 budgets (approximately 3 trillion VND) for infrastructure construction.

Social security, especially welfare for the poor and fund raising for poverty
reduction programmes were also highlighted in the working session.

An Giang produced 3.5 million tonnes of paddy rice and 360,000 tonnes of fish last
year, including 270,000 tonnes of catfish.

However, its industrial growth remains slow with industrial production output
making up just 11 percent of GDP, the lowest rate in the Mekong Delta. --Enditem