With this grant, Seed to Table will implement a community development project, training human resources in organic agriculture, processing, and business management in Dong Thap.
The Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City presented a grant from the Japanese Government to Seed to Table to implement a project in Dong Thap province. Photo: Nguyen Thuy.
On March 25, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City awarded a non-refundable aid from the Japanese Government to Seed to Table to implement the project “Sustainable community development through human resource training in the fields of organic agriculture, food processing and business management” (referred to as the Project) in Dong Thap province.
Mr. Ono Masuo, Consul General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City, said that from 2020 to 2023, Seed to Table (a non-profit organization) has implemented the "Organic agriculture development project, improving the livelihoods of small-scale farmers through processing organic agricultural products and educating environmental protection awareness for young people, as well as local development associated with environmental conservation" in Dong Thap province.
Through the development of organic agriculture and the dissemination of methods to achieve organic agriculture certification, it has contributed to improving the livelihoods of farmers.
"From these achievements, in 2023, Seed to Table will continue to implement the "Sustainable Community Development Project through Human Resource Training in Organic Agriculture, Food Processing and Business Management" in Dong Thap Province," said Mr. Ono Masuo, adding that this year is the second year the project has continued to receive aid with a total aid capital of 195,277 USD.
Japanese experts were invited by Seed to Table to guide organic agriculture and processing for students of Dong Thap Provincial Community and Cadre College.
According to Ms. Ino Mayu, Chief Representative of Seed to Table, Vietnam's agriculture has great potential, but there are still many things that need to be overcome in training human resources in the fields of organic agriculture, agricultural processing and business management.
“The project implemented in Dong Thap focuses on three areas: organic agriculture, agricultural processing and business management. In particular, we focus on training local human resources. So that after we “withdraw”, there will still be experienced human resources and means to work and develop agriculture”, Ms. Ino Mayu.
In the first year, the project organized training sessions related to sanitation management and related legal policies for teachers and students of the Community College, staff of the Agricultural Service Center, Irrigation Works Management and Rural Clean Water, and many farmers in Dong Thap province.
At the same time, everyone joined together to research and process to create new products from mango - a specialty fruit of Dong Thap province such as dried mango and mango ice cream.
In the second year, the project will continue to organize training sessions on organic agriculture, business management... At the same time, expand research and processing to create new products from many other typical agricultural products of Dong Thap province such as lotus, mango... to supply the market.
In particular, this year, the project will organize for those who have participated in the training to visit Japan to learn about the experience.
"I hope that when you come to Japan to study and return, each of you will accumulate many useful things about Japanese agriculture as well as the experiences of experts in community development based on environmental protection, sustainable socio-economic development based on production - processing - trading of organic agricultural products and preserving and promoting local traditional culture. From there, apply it to the agricultural development and business management of the project in Dong Thap province", said Mr. Ono Masuo and committed that the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City will accompany and support to the maximum extent possible for the project of Seed to Table Organization.
On behalf of the leaders of Dong Thap province, Mr. Huynh Minh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, expressed his gratitude to the Government of Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Ho Chi Minh City and Seed to Table for supporting the province from 2019 to present.
According to Mr. Huynh Minh Tuan, with the help and support from the project implemented by Seed to Table, issues of raising awareness of environmental protection, public health, and improving income for small-scale farmers have been significantly improved by farmers and students being trained in organic farming techniques, equipped with knowledge of sustainable agricultural development by taking advantage of locally available resources. At the same time, step by step, better access to the product consumption market.
Students of Dong Thap Community College learn to process new products from mango.
"This is a valuable source of motivation, an important premise for Dong Thap province's agriculture to gradually develop in a safe and sustainable direction, meeting the increasing needs of consumers. Thereby, contributing to the successful implementation of the province's Organic Agriculture Development Plan for the period 2021 - 2030", said the Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee.
“Recently, we invited 11 Japanese experts in the fields of organic agriculture, agricultural processing and business management to train in Dong Thap. The experts commented that Dong Thap’s agricultural development potential is very good and can be further developed. Especially expanding the market for Cat Chu mango. Many experts are willing to support connecting to the Japanese market if Dong Thap can produce organic mango.
Therefore, in the next 2 years, we will try to improve the value and quality of Dong Thap products and make them available in the Japanese market," said Ms. Ino Mayu.
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