Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a VND290 billion (£9.45 million) project to develop agriculture in 2007-2010.

The project, which has been in place since April 1, will help to improve the quality of farm produce, produce hygiene control and materials with an aim of forming cultivation areas with a closed-cycle production system.

The project will entitle 80-85 per cent of produce storage and processing businesses to receive support from the ministry to apply international quality and hygiene control systems.

Nguyen Van Hoa, deputy director of the ministry’s cultivation department, said the ministry would support provinces to surmount scattered and unplanned production in organic vegetable cultivation areas.

“To carry out the project, we will reorganise cultivation areas, monitor and control the quality of agro-products and coordinate with market inspectors to examine produce in markets,” he said.

The ministry will also launch a campaign on April 15 to encourage local people to use organic vegetables to protect their health and urge local farmers to develop production.