Venezuela uses Vietnamese method to boost rice harvest
May 14th, 2009 - 7:03 am ICT by IANSCaracas, May 14 (EFE) Venezuela has began a project to grow rice using Vietnamese technology, a method that replaces chemical fertilisers with fish in water channels between the rice plots.
Officials hope the crop yields would increase by as much as 30 percent after using the method.
In a national broadcast, President Hugo Chavez Wednesday praised the “great advances” in agriculture achieved by the Vietnamese, whom he called a “fighting people”.
The pilot project will be carried out in a 65,000-hectare area in Apure state.
The project will use several rice hybrids created from Venezuelan and Vietnamese seeds.
Fertilisers and other chemicals would be replaced by fish in water channels between the rice plots.
Chavez emphasised that the agreement with Vietnam would allow Venezuela to “increase … (rice) productivity by 30 percent, (provide) environmental benefits and (create) new jobs” in the region.
Venezuela also has another collaborative project with Vietnam - shrimp farming in the western Falcon state.
The projects with Vietnam would see an investment of about $26 million in the country.
Nguyen Van Bo, head of Vietnam’s Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said the two countries would continue moving forward with the development of hybrid rice varieties and farming techniques.
Chavez has started a programme to make Venezuela self-sufficient in staple foods.
- President of anti-Chavez TV channel arrested in Venezuela - Mar 26, 2010
- Venezuela's Chavez back in the public eye - May 24, 2012
- Venezuela provides $2 bn for fund with China - Jul 11, 2011
- Chavez recovering well, says Venezuelan official - Jun 27, 2011
- Chavez vows to spend extra income from oil on social programmes - Apr 23, 2011
- Venezuela to spend oil income on social programmes (Lead) - Apr 23, 2011
- Over 20 killed in Venezuela prison fight - Aug 21, 2012
- Vietnam sues US over anti-dumping tax - Apr 23, 2010
- Venezuelan lawmakers honour Olympic fencing champ - Aug 15, 2012
- Venezuela, Colombia liberalise bilateral trade - Nov 29, 2011
- Bihar's Srividhi campaign arouses interest in other states - Apr 16, 2012
- India to help Vietnamese teachers in English training - Mar 29, 2012
- Chavez to launch re-election bid - Jun 07, 2012
- Organic potatoes, with love, for Bihar legislators - Mar 28, 2012
- UN accolade for Odisha tribals' green farming (With Images) - Jan 05, 2012
Tags: agricultural sciences, chemical fertilisers, collaborative project, crop yields, efe, emphasised, environmental benefits, falcon state, farming techniques, hugo chavez, hybrid rice, new jobs, nguyen van, pilot project, president hugo chavez, rice harvest, rice varieties, shrimp farming, staple foods, water channels