Opportunities for
cooperation in the field of
agri- and horticulture in
Lam Dong Province
Agri- and horticulture in
Lam Dong
• Major agri- and horticulture region in Vietnam
• Ideal growing circumstances
- Climate (18-22° year round, rainfall: 1800-2600 mm)
- Fertile soil
• Year round production
• ± 40,000 hectares of agricultural production
• ± 2,500 – 3,500 hectares of greenhouse
production (mainly used for flowers)
Challenges in Lam Dong
- Vietnam is in an early adoption phase of technology
– Farms with limited technology / know how
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Low capacity to steer production (quantity and quality)
High production variability (not stable)
Pest and disease pressure
Limited post harvest technology
+ Little attention for sustainability (important for export to EU
& US)
but
• recent transition to apply (high tech) technology - export
driven (quality standards)
• willingness to apply quality accreditation systems
(VietGAP, globalGAP) needed for export
• willingness to learn, invest and move forward
• research & knowledge centers present (all necessary
equipment available!)
 Belgium as a traditional 'top player' in agriculture has
the scientific and technological expertise to support
this development
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Importance of quality and stable production
Ability to steer the growth and production
Ability to steer the cultivation climate
High level know how on pest and disease prevention and
control
• High level know how on post harvest treatment to preserve
quality in commercialization
With attention for sustainability
Cooperation opportunities
• Excellent opportunities exist to collaborate at
– Entrepreneur level (e.g):
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Greenhouse technology
Chemical and biological (organic) crop protection
Climate control and growth regulation
Advanced substrates and fertilizers
In vitro culture and plant breeding (e.g. cooperation between
Denis Plants and Da Lat Flower Forest Biotechnology, since
2006)
– ...
– Research level (e.g):
– to set up joint research
– to set up experimental field tests
– to set up exchange of professors, staff and students
Longstanding cooperation between
East Flanders and Lam Dong
Basis of the cooperation between the two provinces is the
signing of a general MOU in 2011
e.g. meeting between PC Lam Dong and Province of East Flanders (2014)
Actual partnership in Vietnam
-People’s Committee of Lam Dong Province
-Department of Agriculture and rural development (DARD)
of Lam Dong Province
-Dalat University
-Lam Dong Research center for potatoes, flowers and
vegetables
-Private companies in Lam Dong
! Ambition to enlarge this partnership
Actual partnership in Belgium
-Province of East Flanders
-Gent University
-Gent University College
-Research Center of Vegetables
-Research Center of Flowers
-Institute of Agricultural Research
-Consortium of Flemish companies
! Ambition to enlarge this partnership
Leading to benefits for both the
Vietnamese and Belgian partners
• On Vietnamese side: gaining knowledge/ technology
with positive consequences for profit and in the
environmental / human sphere
• On Belgian side: creating additional possibilities for
internationalization of knowledge centers / institutions
and companies
Main aim: to develop to an agricultural model in
Vietnam that is economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable
By implementing specific projects by
joint strategy and development
• Official missions to develop the general strategy of
cooperation
• Economic – scientific missions with the official level,
companies and knowledge centers
• Organisation of a series of workshops and training
sessions to increase the level of knowledge in Lam
Dong
• Knowledge translation through demonstrative
experiments to introduce practical solutions for
farmers (changing mindset of farmers to adopt
technology)
– Sustainable ways to avoid soil disease and increase yields
– Sustainable pest and disease control & biocontrol
– New seed varieties, …
e.g. field test on strawberries
• Knowledge translation by sending experts to Lam
Dong to give advice on specific topics
• E.g.Pesticide use in strawberry and chrysantheum
cultivation
• Knowledge translation through trainings of
government representatives and experts of Lam
Dong in East Flanders
• Field research and elaboration of a survey on the
future cooperation possibilities between Belgium
and Vietnam
Field project : to a higher yield and
quality in the tomato cultivation sector
in Lam Dong Province
• Demonstrating/showing to farmers how to grow
tomatoes in a more sustainable way with positive
consequences for the environment and public health
• Provide scientific and practical support to increase
productivity / yield and quality (and profit) of tomato
cultivation in Lam Dong
• Create cooperation opportunities for companies and
knowledge centers in Vietnam and Belgium
• Partnership :
• East Flanders – Lam Dong province
• Companies (consortium of Belgian companies)
• Knowledge centers (in Lam Dong, East Flanders)
• Timing: start second half of 2015
Cooperation in the field of cacao cultivation
• Vietnam – high potential to become an important producer
-Small producer: located Ben Tre, Lam Dong, Dak Lak
-High quality of beans
-No mono culture: to be combined with other crops
-Will (national level) to promote the production
• Belgium – strong partners
-Ghent University – Cacao Lab (unique in EU)
-Puratos – Grand Place: top chocolate maker (located
in Binh Duong province) using Vietnamese cacao
Cooperation in the field of cacao cultivation
Project “analyses of the potential of cacao production in
Lam Dong (2015-2016)”
-Province of East Flanders
-Gent University
-Puratos Grand Place
-People’s committe of Lam Dong
-DARD Lam Dong
-Dalat University
Aim : to support the development of high quality cacao
production in Lam Dong
Cooperation in the field of coffee cultivation
Aim of East Flanders to set up projects to support the
durable development of coffee production in Lam Dong
First project : analyses of the coffee berry disease
problem in Lam Dong (2015)
Opportunites to develop (in partnership with local
governments, companies and knowledge centers) a
cooperation in this field
Cooperation in the field of cattle
breeding
• Vietnam
– Shortage of meat and diary products in Vietnam
 important import from abroad (Australia, ..)
• Belgium
– World know expertise and excellent breed: Belgian White Blue
• Less feed necessary / kg meat = economical (meat / fat )
• Higher quantity of meat / carcass = production efficient
• Less manure produced, lower greenhouse gass production = ecological
Cooperation in the field of cattle
breeding
Aim : to cross breed (artificial insemination) Belgian White
Blue cattle with local breeds and improve cattle farming
conditions
 more efficient/ environmental way of producing cattle
meat in Vietnam
 create cooperation opportunities for companies and
knowledge centers in Vietnam and Belgium
(artificial insemination centers, medical equipment, food additives, …)
East Flanders :
longstanding partner of
Vietnam
International policy of East Flanders
- Two structural international partnerships
– China (special focus on Hebei – Ha Bac) since
1991
– Vietnam since 2000
- Clear political choice to maintain a limited number of
long-term strategic partnerships and cooperation
alliances outside the EU
- Working within existing broader frameworks,
strategies and actions (Belgian and regional
(Flemish) level)
International policy of East Flanders
- Bringing added value both in East Flanders and
Vietnam by JOINT strategies and cooperations
- Based on a clear SWOT-analysis on both sides
- Focus on cluster policy and multi-stakeholders
approach (triple helix model)
- Official authorities
- Knowledge centers and institutes
- Companies
Highlights of the cooperation between
East Flanders and Vietnam
• Organisation of 5 East Flemish economic scientific
missions :
– Multisectoral (2)
– Agri, horticulture and cattle breeding (3)
• Privileged partner for Vietnamese authorities in the
organization of activities, e.g.
– Organisation of a number of important economic seminars
– Reception of Vietnamese (high level) delegations
– Organisation of the Vietnamese days in Belgium
Vietnamese delegation of 180 participants : high ranked political
delegation, important business people, cultural delegation and a
Vietnamese press delegation
Highlights of the cooperation between
East Flanders and Vietnam
• The establishment of the School of Excellence: 450
middle management employees and 1100 workers in
Flemish companies active in Vietnam received
practical training;
• Financing and set up of a number of projects in the
field of
– Aquaculture (RIA 2, Can Tho University, Gent University)
– Agri- and horticulture
• East Flanders acts as a platform (in close
cooperation with the Vietnamese Embassy in
Brussels) for activities to convince Belgian actors
about the potential in Vietnam
Flanders Economic Office
• Because of the fast growing cooperation, East
Flanders established the “Flanders Economic Office” :
– integrated in the Belgian Consulate in HCMC
– acting as a supporting platform for Flemish companies
– co-coordinator of the activities organised by the province in
Vietnam.