Economy

Final article: Removing barriers and promoting biotechnology development in the new situation

Economic Reporter Group • December 5, 2024 13:54

Vietnam is striving to become a country with a developed biotechnology industry, a center of smart biotechnology production and services, and one of the leading countries in Asia. In Nghe An, the government, farmers, and scientists are also actively researching, promoting applied science, multiplying biodiversity conservation models, and developing endemic species to contribute to the conservation of "green lungs"...

As mentioned in previous articles, although the application of biotechnology in Nghe An has achieved certain results, it is still very modest compared to the actual potential. Currently, the province, district, biodiversity conservation areas, organizations and scientists are making efforts to implement Resolution No. 36 of the Politburo on the development and application of biotechnology for sustainable development in the new situation.

Regarding environmental protection, a vital issue today, through effective applied research, Nghe An province has seen the superiority of the issue and invested widely in production for people to help protect the environment, treat waste and waste to make fertilizer, bring farms to develop green agriculture, smart agriculture, creating hundreds of safe OCOP products right from the fields.

Mr. Ngo Hoang Linh - Director of the Center for Application of Science and Technology Advances in Nghe An province said: "Our center is mastering 8 strains of microorganisms to create 5 lines of effective biological products. We are focusing on researching and applying these products to protect the coastal environment, shrimp farming areas, and deserted areas, serving safe agriculture. However, for Xa Doai oranges, we have not yet been able to treat the Greening disease."

In Nghe An, biotechnology is still in its early stages, and there has not been much replication of models from research to application. Science is a long journey that requires time, so research also needs to wait for time to answer. This is demonstrated through the reality of the process of monitoring and checking investment models, which basically depends on the growth process of the subject.

Due to the novelty and limited investment resources, the research results at Pu Mat National Park, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, Pu Huong or the Institute of Biochemistry and Environmental Hygiene (Vinh University) and the Center for Technology Application (Department of Science and Technology) have not yet achieved their targets. Pu Mat National Park only spends 1 billion VND per year on scientific research, so many topics cannot be replicated. In addition, the specificity of scientific research topics is that they are not based on the fiscal year, while support policies are based on each year.

Dr. Nguyen Van Sinh - Director of Pu Hoat Nature Reserve (Que Phong) pointed out a reality: The reserve is a public unit, the current apparatus and functions, in addition to the main task of protecting the existing forest area. If the implementation of rare forestry tree models also maintains a small scale because of large-scale production, it requires a very large and in-depth investment, in addition to protection and care work. Besides, there must be an order to dare to produce. For example, we have produced 100,000 Quỳ cinnamon seedlings, but the district has only ordered 40,000 trees.

Learning about the situation at the grassroots level, Mr. Bui Van Hien - Vice Chairman of Que Phong District People's Committee said that although the project on developing livelihood models has been confirmed, bon bo trees, yellow flower tea, and lung trees are suitable for the customs of local people, the products are consumed well, but production needs to be processed, if mass production is needed, there needs to be a stable output.

Looking at the model of replicating the Quy duck breed in Quy Chau district, Mr. Le My Trang - Director of the District Agricultural Service Center said: If raised on an industrial scale, the cost of food (according to biosafety standards) is very high, if there are more than 500 ducks, it will cost 3-4 million VND per day.

Sharing with us, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan - former Director of Pu Mat National Park said: Scientific research in general and biotechnology in particular requires perseverance. After research, to apply the results into production and practice, it is necessary to have the sponsorship and support of the State and enterprises. The reason why developed countries have rapid progress in research and application science is thanks to investment in ensuring equipment conditions from the time of collecting, researching and taking samples until the results are applied, and efficiency will ensure output.

Regarding forest seedlings, which are very necessary for Nghe An at present, Mr. Cao Cu Luc - Director of Dong Hop Forestry (Quy Hop) said: Investing in a tissue culture facility requires 4 - 5 billion VND, but the important thing is the equipment, the regime for engineers, research staff, operators... Another difficulty is that Nghe An in particular is currently still facing complicated pests that cannot be handled, specifically, diseases such as: cassava mosaic, fall armyworm, pine caterpillar, black-striped dwarf, African swine fever... have caused a lot of damage to the environment and life.

According to Resolution 36 of the Politburo on the development and application of biotechnology for sustainable development in the new situation, the goal by 2045 is that biotechnology will account for 10-15% of the country's GDP. The goal by 2030 is that Vietnam's biotechnology will reach the world's advanced level in a number of important fields, becoming one of the top 10 countries in Asia in biotechnology production and smart services; widely applied in industries and fields, contributing to rapid and sustainable socio-economic development. Biotechnology industry becomes an important economic and technical sector, biotechnology enterprises increase by 50% in investment scale and growth scale, replace at least 50% of imported biotechnology products; contribute 7% to GDP; ensure essential needs of society.

Regarding climate change prevention, in our interview, Labor Hero Thai Huong, founder and Chairman of the TH Group Strategy Council, said: "TH has now applied modern technology to all stages of production, including high-level biotechnology. For example, in the border district of Ky Son, we invest in the conservation and development of medicinal herbs here with the desire to contribute to ensuring the sustainability of the natural ecosystem, building the most convincing models of livelihood for ethnic minorities and medicinal herbs under the forest canopy. To ensure development conditions, we have invested in a processing factory here."

Talking to Dr. Hua Duc Nhi - former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman of the Vietnam Forest Owners Association when he came to a meeting in Que Phong district, he said: "We always care about forest protection and forest livelihood development, forestry economic development, and forest biodiversity conservation. To promote and preserve the value of forest genetic resources and create livelihoods, the first solution is to unify awareness and promote propaganda to the people of Nghe An about methods and models that are convincing and close, thereby mobilizing investment resources, from the State budget to socialization and funding for this work".

Mr. Tran Quoc Thanh - former Director of Nghe An Department of Science and Technology said: Like the field of innovative startups, scientific research, applying biotechnology to production is a process and not all research results are applied and effective immediately. Therefore, it is necessary to have funding from funds or businesses (sharks) or support from the State budget to develop. In Nghe An, there are many good startup ideas or technology application research topics, but the results of application in practice are still limited, many ideas and research products take too much time to test and recognize.

According to businessman Nguyen Van Hung - General Director of Vastcom Nghe An Seaweed Company, "the solution to effectively develop biotechnology is to continue researching and applying products after research, and continue to support the development of scientists' results. With our research, recently some Dutch enterprises highly appreciated it, asked for samples for research, and proposed cooperation to bring it to the Mekong Delta and Tra Vinh to produce algae, thereby supporting the production of other products to make fertilizer for plants, for leaves, and improve saline soil. This shows that the world highly values ​​the values ​​of biotechnology."

Businessman Tran Manh Bao - Hero of Labor in the renovation period, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group - has devoted his whole life and passion to researching and creating rice varieties for farmers. He has successfully researched and been recognized for 20 new crop varieties, including TBR-1, TBR225, TBR279, Dong A1, TBR89, TBR87, A Sao, TBM18 glutinous corn, TBM18 sweet glutinous corn, blast resistance genes transferred into BC15 rice variety, bacterial leaf blight resistance genes transferred into TBR225 rice variety... making an important contribution to the process of renewing the crop structure and seasons in Vietnamese agriculture. He is a person who understands the great role of biotechnology science in the current period. Mr. Bao said that biotechnology cannot lack the role of scientists, it is a process of passionate research, diving, understanding and loving the land of the country, taking advantage of biological resources, from nature we return to nature, combining with advanced science and technology to create new achievements to serve the country...

Nghe An is implementing biological forestation technologies, carbon credit rice production, biodiversity conservation, promoting environmental protection activities from biological products, sustainable socio-economic development and climate change adaptation in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, establishing Puxailaileng Nature Reserve in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve. The province is studying a plan to convert the area with high biodiversity and unique features from Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district to Nam Can commune and Na Ngoi commune, Ky Son district into special-use forests, connecting with Pu Mat National Park and Bolikhamxay Ecological Compensation Area of ​​the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Constructing a comprehensive biodiversity corridor, connecting the Pu Mat National Park corridor - Puxailaileng peak - Pu Hoat Nature Reserve with inter-regional and inter-border corridors with the Lao People's Democratic Republic... In addition, encouraging localities to build growing area codes for long-term export, replicating agricultural production models in the direction of practicing safety criteria and biological applications such as VietGAP, Organic safe production practice standards or Global GAP...

Vietnam will focus on developing and applying biotechnology in environmental protection; minimizing degradation, restoring and improving environmental quality, conserving nature and biodiversity, and sustainably using resources to contribute to building a green economy and a circular economy; producing environmentally friendly fuels and biomaterials, and promoting the potential of the marine economy. To achieve the above goals is challenging, requiring changes from awareness of the role of biodiversity to investment solutions and resource allocation for implementation in Nghe An in particular.