Vinh Phuc (VNA) – Besides its strength inindustries, in recent years, the northern province of Vinh Phuc has maintainedeffective agricultural production with diverse farm produce and breedingproducts, requiring it to promote the agricultural product processing sector toenhance their value.

The development of the processing industry is also expectedto bring in opportunities for agricultural product processing firms torestructure their operation in the future.

During a recent national online conference on promoting theagricultural product processing sector and agricultural mechanization, leadersof the Government and central ministries and sectors defined that processingindustry makes important contributions to the effective operation ofenterprises, improving incomes for farmers and increasing State budgetcollection.

In Vinh Phuc, despite its strong industry sector, inprocessing, the province has yet to mark its name in the Vietnam’s processingmap as exempting for an animal feed factory and a number of safe vegetable processingfacilities, Vinh Phuc has had few processed agricultural brand names.

Recognising its unexploited potential and advantages inexpanding the processing sector, in recent years, the province has designedvarious policies and mechanisms to encourage businesses to invest in the area.

Vinh Phuc has asked the agricultural sector to coordinateclosely with localities across the province to remove obstacles facing theagriculture sector, farmers and enterprises investing in agriculture.

Meanwhile, the locality has actively sought and broadenedexportmarkets, while encouraging farmers and companies to stay active in applyinghigh technologies in producing and processing agricultural products, thus providingcustomers with fresh, clean and safe farm produce.

Statistics showed that currently, the province is home tomore than 1,300 agricultural product and food processing facilities, of which,25 are processing enterprises and the rest are small-scaled facilities.

As part of its efforts to associate the agricultural productprocessing sector with trade promotion and market development, since 2013, VinhPhuc has held a number of large-scaled agricultural trade promotion events anddozens of trade fairs and exhibitions, introducing major farm produce of theprovince to the domestic market and creating the connectivity in producing andselling of the products.

However, the economic values produced by the processingsector have remained low and have yet to match the potential and advantages ofthe province. Experts held that the reasons behind the situation include riskfactors threatening the agricultural sector, including natural disasters,extreme weather conditions and pandemics.

Besides, some businesses wishing to invest in agriculturehave faced difficulties in seeking areas to locate their projects as the areasare not included in the province’s planning scheme.

In order to cope with the issues, the province has focusedon adjusting, supplementing and completing a number of policies to createfavourable conditions for the growth of economic sectors, especially farmersand businesses to get easier access to land, capital resources and market, thuseffectively investing in agricultural production.

Vinh Phuc has also designed a number of policies andmechanisms to attract more investment projects in agricultural processing.

Officials from theprovincial Department of Planning and Investment said the provincialauthorities will continue to push forward with administrative reform, focusingon streamlining administrative procedures to reduce time and costs forenterprises. Vinh Phuc will promote the application of informationtechnology (IT) in administrative procedures with the goal of creating the bestpossible environment for production and business, thus enhancing the attractionof FDI and investment from society.

At the same time, attentionwill be paid to removing difficulties and obstacles faced by businesses invarious fields, from business registration to business conditions, customsclearance and taxation.

During the period of socialdistancing to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, agencies in Vinh Phuc still maintained their connections with investors through many channels,providing them with consultations and latest information. The province has alsointensified online investment promotion activities, so as to attract investorsafter the pandemic is put under control./.