Vietnamese agriculturists to help boost food production

Sixteen Vietnamese agriculturists have arrived in the Republic of Congo (ROC) to take part in a programme to help the country attain food self-sufficiency. Another 33 Vietnamese are expected in the next few months. The technicians, engaged for a three-year tour of duty to pass on their knowledge to local farmers, met Agriculture Minister Jeanne Dambendzet in the capital, Brazzaville, on 3 December. "With the help of these technicians - who have already demonstrated their expertise in agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry - we will move towards attaining food self-sufficiency," she said. The Vietnamese will also teach fish conservation techniques. The ROC's food-security plan focuses on improving water management, proliferating its exploitable resources, and conducting an analysis of socioeconomic constraints on the attainment of these goals. The country intends to improve the cultivation of cassava, yams, bananas, rice, and potatoes. If the programme succeeds, it will enable the nation's 3.2 million people to eat more locally produced food. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, 32 percent of the population suffers from hunger. The agriculture ministry says the country spends 100 million francs CFA (US $166.38 million) a year on food imports.