(VOVworld) – A seminar opened in HCM city on Tuesday to discuss the role of business in agriculture and new rural development. Delegates discussed measures to encourage businesses to invest in the field. These include coordinated measures by relevant agencies to support businesses in terms of investment procedures, bank loans, and public information on investment support mechanisms in line with target programs for agriculture and rural development. Delegates said the state should build facilities to promote trade and agricultural development and boost IT application to increase productivity, quality, and competitiveness. Ho Xuan Hung, President of Vietnam’s General Council of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “The Party and state have focused on policies to attract more business investment into the agricultural sector. To do this, barriers particularly administrative procedures and those not beneficial to businesses, should be removed.”

Over the past 5 years, more than 880 communes and 5 districts have fulfilled all the new rural development criteria. Income per capita in rural areas has increased 1.8 fold from 2010 and 29 billion USD has been invested in building new rural areas.