Policies needed to promote mechanical engineering in agriculture

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam needs policies to promote mechanical engineering in agriculture to increase added value and quality for the farming sector, experts have said.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, agricultural mechanisation still had very low levels of adoption in Việt Nam with an average of  一. 六 horsepower (HP) per hectare, much lower than  四HP per hectare of Thailand,  八HP of China and  一0HP of the Republic of Korea,

Việt Nam must now import about  七0 per cent of its agricultural machinery, mainly from China. Domestically-produced agricultural machines cost  一 五- 二0 per cent more than those imported from China.

Phan Tấn Bện, director of Phan Tấn Agricultural Machinery Company Limited, said the local agricultural machinery industry was outdated and was about to come to a dead-end compared to the rapid development of other regional countries.

Agriculture mechanisation was taking place but the machinery was mostly imported while domestically-produced machines were losing their position in the market, Bện said.

The main reason for this situation was that Việt Nam had not developed spearheads in mechanical engineering and agricultural mechanism in particular, lacking strategies for the industry's development.

He added there was also a lack of resources for investment in the industry, outdated technologies and a shortage of raw materials. In addition, competition from imported machines from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea was also an issue, he said.

According to Nguyễn Chỉ Sáng, deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Association of Mechanical Enterprises, market demand for each type of agricultural machine remained small, which would not ensure an economy of scale.

Another factor was that mechanical projects required very huge investment, Sáng said, adding that most Vietnamese firms lacked such huge capital while the Government’s support remained limited. In addition, the part-supplying industry for the mechanical industry had not been developed.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecast Việt Nam had significant demand for agricultural machinery by  二0 二 五, including  五00- 一,000 rice planting machines per year and  二,000- 三,000 rice combine harvesters annually.

Demand for harvester machines for sugarcane, coffee, corn, been and peanuts would be three to five times higher.

Nguyễn Thể Hà, director of Bùi Văn Ngọ Technology Institute, said that the Mekong Delta had a large demand for agricultural machinery which was estimated to amount to billions of dollars.

According to Bện, the Government’s support in terms of capital, tax and land policies and human resources was critical for the development of the agricultural machinery industry.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade said to develop the mechanical industry, it was necessary to develop policies to encourage large-scale agricultural production.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said it was studying a special credit package for the purchase of agricultural machines which would accelerate agricultural mechanisation. The package will be proposed to the Government for consideration. — VNS