Japan will help the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre to establish a climate-resilient agricultural value chain, said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Office in Vietnam on March 12.

Illustrative image. (Source: VNA) 

The JICA Office in Vietnam has signed a tripartite agreement with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Office in Ho Chi Minh City and Ben Tre province which promotes cooperation in three specific areas – establishment of a climate-resilient agricultural value chain; improvement of investment environment and promotion of high quality investment in Ben Tre, particularly those by Japanese enterprises; and personnel training for agricultural development and investment promotion via Japanese cultural exchanges and language courses within the framework of JICA and JETRO’s programmes.

The JICA will actively implement results of ODA projects and surveys under the Japanese Enterprises Proposing Programme while the JETRO will provide support and information for Japanese firms investing in Ben Tre.

The JICA has been providing Ben Tre with both “structural” (infrastructure development under loan projects) and "non-structural" (policy and technical assistance) support, such as the “Ben Tre Water Management” loan project aiming to help the province tackle climate change issues, like saltwater intrusion and shortage of freshwater, by constructing water sluice gates and related facilities.

Under the framework of cooperation with the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), the JICA has also been providing Ben Tre with consultancy in formulating agriculture development policies.

In the near future, the JICA and JETRO will work as a bridge for information sharing between the parties and jointly promote investment and economic development in different provinces in Vietnam.

Ben Tre is known for an advantageous location for agro-fishery production such as coconut or shrimp farming. The province views agriculture as a key economic sector and also focuses on promotion of both domestic and foreign investment.

Compared to other provinces in the vicinity of Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre also has great potential with abundant and low-cost human resources and is one of the provinces providing a large pool of apprentices for Japan.