A contest entitled “Farmers with information and technology” will be held at the national scale on October 1st by the Vietnam Farmers’ Association Central Committee.

During a press conference on September 15th, Nguyen Hong Ly, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Association, said that the contest would check basic skills, including using the Internet, sending and receiving electronic mails, seeking the market, and applying information and technology in agricultural production and in breeding industry.

According to the organising committee, the contest will provide 1 first prize worth VND30 million, 2 second prizes worth VND20 million each, 3 third prizes worth VND10 million each, and 57 consolation prizes worth VND3 million.

Representatives from the Department of High Technology under the Ministry of Science and Technology said that they hoped to receive useful solutions for production from the candidates.

“Through the contest, the organising committee wants to send a message to 15 million farmers’ families across the country that Vietnam’s agricultural products are facing fierce competitiveness with the others when the country joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),” said Ms Ly. “If farmers do not gain access to information and technology and advanced methods of production to produce high quality agricultural products, their products may be defeated.”

The contest is expected to help farmers, who account 70% of the population, have a chance to learn experience in applying information and technology into production, in order to increase productivity and product quality./.

( Compiled by VNF )