The An Phu Hung Joint Stock Company in the northern province of Ha Namis cooperating with H.B.C International of Japan to carry out a projecton vegetable growing and processing to serve both domestic consumptionand export.

The project, which began in July2014, grows okra, sweet potato and soybean across two hectares in thePhu Van commune, Phu Ly city using seedlings imported from Japan.

According to Nguyen Thu Dang, Director of An PhuHung, the soil has been processed to remove unwanted components and noartificial fertiliser was used.

All vegetables harvested from the field have met Japanese standards for imports.

After the successful pilot project, An Phu Hung intends to expand thecultivation area to 100 hectares in 2015, Dang said.

The project also opens up opportunities for further cooperation between the province and Japan in agriculture.

In an investment promotion trip to Japan late last year, theprovincial authorities sought collaboration with Shiga and Ibarakiprefectures which are strong in agriculture.

A business delegation from Shiga Prefecture recently visited Ha Nam to study cooperation prospects.

In mid-January, representative from a Japanese group, Showa Denko,also came to the province to research the possibility of building anorganic vegetable cultivation farm using LED lighting.

According to Nguyen Van Oang, Director of the provincial Departmentof Planning and Investment, modernising agriculture is one of threepillars of the province’s economic development, seeking to improveincome and living conditions for people in rural areas.-VNA