Vietnam’s Public-Private Task Force on Sustainable Agriculture.

Commodities Group

Ha Noi - 11 April, 2014

Agreed Strategy

An increase of 50% production output in 3-5

years for soybean and corn

Plantation model adoption:

• Soybean trial planting model.

• Rice to corn conversion models and plan to scale -up

Agronomic practices advancement:

•Better Farm management practices•Better use of Fertilizer•Promote high-population cultivation practices

Modern breeding adoption:

Review and Simplify the current Plant Varieties Registration process would help Vietnamese Farmers to access to New Plant Varieties that contribute Higher Yield and Quality.

Biotechnology adoption:

Robust the process of developing and implementing legislations for Food/Feed safety approval for biotech crops;

Contribution for 50% production increase

Soybean : High yield varieties , agronomics practices & expansion of production area . Pilot projects, scale-up projects, rotational crops: rice – soybean – rice in Mekong Delta

Corn : Pilot projects: transfer rice to corn crop. Agronomics practices , Modern Breeding and Biotech . Demo GMO varieties, Food/Feed safety approval for biotech crops

The crop restructure • Production paradox: Rice surplus and corn & soybean deficit

– Vietnam imported 1.5 mil. ton corn , 1.3 mil. ton soybean and 3.2 mil. ton of soya meal in year 2012.

• Improve farmer’s income for low yield rice land is challenges.• MARD plan to convert low yield rice land to corn/soybean

crops • PPP – Commodities group works closely with the plan

Rice to corn conversion model in Northern mountainous provinces

Classification: PUBLIC

Under the crop restructure planning, MARD is looking for a better income crops to replace more than 100,000 ha of low yield upland rice (1-1.5 T/ha, farmers earning of 7-8 mio. dong/ha/year) in Northern mountainous provinces.

Supporting this plan, Syngenta has been working with DoAs of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Son La and Cao Bang to set up the demo plots for training the farmers to make a step change in their cultivation from rice to corn. Since then 10 plots has been made as show case to farmers to access the new technology.

In 2013 about 1,000 ha of low income rice area has been covered to corn specially in Lao cai and Yen Bai providing famers 5-6 time higher income with corn contributing an extra of nearly 5,000T of corn productivity to province

Rice to Corn conversion model in Mekong Delta

Why Mekong Delta?– Mekong Delta is the national centre of livestock and aquaculture, huge demand for feed, which corn is of

major ingredients.

– Adoption Advantage: Mekong Delta Average Corn Yield 2 times National Average

• Best Corn Hybrids for Conversion Area

• Hi-Pop & Mechanization: Produce more, conserve more• Hi-pop: More seeds on same area• Minimum Tillage Machine: Less labor, time and cost• R&D for Standard Agronomic Practice for Conversion and transfers directly to farmers

• Dekalb partners with provincial DOAs and AECs:• Field Demos• Farmers’ training• Sponsor Minimum Tillage machines for An Giang, Dong Thap• Dekalb partners with Grain Companies to ensure Output for farmers

• Farmers’ profits jumps2.5 – 4 times after converting from rice to corn• “Minimum Tillage” Machine helps farmers saved 80% cost, time and labor

• Farm profits jumps 2.5 – 4 times• Saved 80% cost, time and labor

Successfully convert 2.200ha Farmers earned ~ 19 Billion dong Extra Farmers saved ~ 16 Billion dong Convert 200.000 ha

Meet local demand of 1.7 million ton of cornFarmers could benefit up to Tens of Thousands Billion Dong Extra

R-T-C Conversion Roadmap

Oct 2013Jun 2013 2016

HOW TO GET THERE?

• Direction and Support from the Government

• Material Production Planning• Policy to Link and Support Production Chain• Policy to Support Farmers

• Dekalb Vietnam: Commitment to support farmers by continuing to transfer R-T-C Conversion Success Model• Grain Purchase Companies: (pls advise)

PUBLIC PRIVATE

Rice to soybean conversion is other suitable one

The soybean pilot project in Ba Ria Vung Tau will be continue with scale 20 ha in crop 2013 -2014.

Bunge is working with Institute of Agricultural Science of South Vietnam (IAS: Viện Khoa Học Kỹ Thuật Nông Nghiệp Miền Nam) to plant several hundreds ha trial in South East and Mekong Delta Regions as rice to soybean conversion model.

Rice Conversion challenges

• Detail plans for conversion• Strategy for post harvest services• Logistic preparation

=> Commodities group & its industrial partners can relying on that to build long term plans for local corn & soybean crops

Make corn crop more efficient : Agronomy Practice advancement

Classification: PUBLIC

Syngenta is more aggressive in agronomy practices in year 2031:

• More than 30 Corn Learning Centers has been established in different provinces throughout Vietnam reached 20,000 farmers and also being used as the center for Train the trainers of Agriculture Extension Centers at province level.

• A ‘seeing is believing’ approach for educating growers, enabling them to adopt innovative technology with full integrated solution on corn called “ START RIGHT” from land preparation, seeds density, hybridization, seed treatment, nutrition and pest management.

• Clear yield increase from integrated solution from 10-15% vs. current practice.

Dekalb Learning Center Series are continuing

10

Biotechnology situation update

Combined food and feed safety circular was uploaded on WTO on Sep 2, the review period will be closed on Nov 2. MARD organized an WS on Oct 10 for more than 100 peoples to get the comment for food/feed circular

Two companies have submitted Environmental Risk Assessment Reports in Jul 2013. The report of Syngenta and Monsanto have been uploaded on Biosafety Website for public hearing on Oct 5. the public hearing period is one month

No assessment fees circular issued, but the drafted circular have been uploaded on MOF website for comment on Oct 28.

Trial of new event is ongoing, Syngenta has completed confined field trial of MIR162 in Sep. Vice Minister of MARD inspected GM trial in Sep.

Modern breeding update

Continue efforts of applying Modern Breeding to speed up the introduction of New Advanced Hybrids

New Varieties;• Yield improved by 10 - 12%• Shorter harvesting: 95 – 100 days• Allow Higher density: 78,000

1212

Next action

Rice to corn/soybean conversion model is key; scale up models are planning.

Continue to extend corn learn center for agronomy training to support yield increase.

Cooperate with local and agriculture extension net work to promote for a intensive shifting from low income crops to corn focusing in Northern mountainous province and Mekong.

Field demo of GM corn to support promotion of GM technology benefit

Support the legal frame work of plant variety law