Ho Chi Minh City’s cooperation programmes with southern provincesand Can Tho city have improved business and production links betweenthem in recent years.

Between 2000 and June 2011, the cityinvested 198.7 trillion VND (9.5 billion USD) in 782 projects in the CuuLong ( Mekong ) Delta’s 12 provinces and Can Tho city under theprogrammes, according to the HCM City Development Research Institute.

The projects were in agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, scienceand technology, healthcare, education, information, culture, transport,and environment protection. The cooperation has helped fostersocio-economic development, according to the localities.

The projects have improved the lives of locals and reduced the number of job seekers moving to HCM City.
 
The city too has benefited by securing supply of products from these projects, especially livestock an agriculture produce.

HCM City can only meet 20 percent of its demand for livestockand poultry meat and other foods, according to the municipal Departmentof Agriculture and Rural Development. A trade cooperation programme withthe southern localities has helped improve trade one year after itbegan.

The city has identified the strengths of each province andbuilt production-to-distribution chains for many goods that itconsumes, especially agriculture and food.

Livestock and poultrymeat is provided by Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Long An, Tien Giang, andTay Ninh provinces. Meanwhile, egg are supplies by Dong Nai, Long An,Tien Giang and Dong Thap.

Vegetables and fruits mainly come from Lam Dong, Long An and Tien Giang.-VNA