Decision No. 11/2006/QĐ-TTg on approving the "Key Program for Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020"

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the "Key Program for Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020"

biotechnology in the agricultural and rural development sector by 2020"

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 5 of the Fifth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Ninth Tenure, on accelerating industrialization and modernization in agriculture and rural areas during the period of 2001-2010;

Pursuant to Directive No. 50-CT/TW dated March 4, 2005 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on vigorously developing and applying biotechnology to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country;

Pursuant to Decision No. 188/2005/QĐ-TTg dated July 22, 2005 of the Prime Minister on issuing the Government's Action Program to implement Directive No. 50-CT/TW dated March 4, 2005 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on vigorously developing and applying biotechnology to serve the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 09/2005/NQ-CP dated August 3, 2005 of the Government's Regular Meeting in July 2005;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves "The Key Program for Developing and Applying Biotechnology in Agriculture and Rural Development until 2020" (hereinafter referred to as the Program) with the following main contents:

I. OBJECTIVES:

1. General objectives:

To create new crop varieties, livestock breeds, microbial strains, and agricultural biotechnology products with high productivity, quality, and economic efficiency to meet the needs of restructuring the economy in the agricultural sector and rural development. Improve the quality and competitiveness of agricultural products, accelerate the rate of processed agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products to better meet domestic consumption and export demands.

2. Specific objectives for each phase:

a) Phase 2006 - 2010:

- Create or acquire and master some advanced biotechnologies and effectively apply them to production, suitable to the specific conditions of Vietnam's agricultural industry.

- Form and gradually develop the agricultural biotechnology industry to produce key products at an industrial scale with high quality and competitiveness to better meet domestic consumption and export demands.

- Select and create some crop varieties and livestock breeds using molecular biotechnology techniques and apply them to production; select and create some genetically modified plant lines in laboratories and field trials.

- Strengthen the basic capacity for agricultural biotechnology through training a specialized workforce with high qualifications and good quality in key fields; train a general workforce to apply biotechnology in production facilities; complete the construction and put into operation a system of key and modern laboratories; continue to invest in upgrading and expanding the network of ordinary laboratories applying agricultural biotechnology.

b) Phase 2011 - 2015:

- Vigorously develop advanced biotechnologies, focusing on genetic technologies; approach new sciences such as genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics, and nanobiotechnology in agricultural biotechnology; bring Vietnam's agricultural biotechnology to a relatively high level in the region.

- Train human resources specializing in new biotechnology fields; focus investment on upgrading and modernizing some agricultural biotechnology laboratories to reach world-leading levels.

- Introduce some genetically modified crop varieties into production; successfully apply somatic cloning in animals.

- Vigorously develop the agricultural biotechnology industry, establish favorable markets to promote production, business, and services of key biotechnology products to better meet domestic consumption and export demands.

- Agricultural biotechnology contributes 20 to 30 percent to the total contribution of science and technology to the increase in value of the agricultural sector.

c) Vision until 2020:

- Vietnam's agricultural biotechnology reaches the level of leading countries in ASEAN, and in some fields, it achieves world-leading levels.

- The area planted with new crop varieties created by biotechnology techniques accounts for over 70%, including genetically modified crops accounting for 30 to 50%; more than 70% of the demand for disease-free seeds is supplied from the seed industry; more than 80% of the area planted with vegetables and fruit trees uses biological fertilizers and pesticides; meet the basic demand for animal vaccines.

- Agricultural biotechnology contributes more than 50 percent to the total contribution of science and technology to the increase in value of the agricultural sector.

II. MAIN TASKS:

1. Basic research, applied research, scientific research and technological development (R&D), and pilot production of products (P) to support the development of agricultural biotechnology:

a) Agricultural crops:

- Conduct basic research on genetic and cellular technologies such as genome mapping, genomics, gene isolation, studying the expression of transgenic traits through various gene transfer technologies to provide a scientific basis for creating genetically modified crop varieties; study the formation and regeneration laws of embryogenic callus and somatic embryos in important economic plants.

- Apply research to create some new crop varieties using genetic technologies (gene transfer and molecular marker methods) with superior agronomic and biological characteristics such as high yield and quality, resistance to pests and diseases, and high tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. By 2010, introduce some new crop varieties (including five pure rice varieties, three hybrid rice varieties, two corn hybrid varieties) produced by cell technology and molecular marker methods into large-scale production. By 2011, some genetically modified varieties (such as cotton, corn, soybeans) will be introduced into production.

- Implement and develop the micropropagation industry nationwide to produce trial products and industrial-scale main products and goods, meeting high-quality seed demands for disease-free crops.

- Research and apply to produce diagnostic KITs for some crop diseases.

- Establish genetic "fingerprints" for native specialty crop varieties in Vietnam to serve as a basis for conserving rare gene pools, protecting varieties, building brands; assess the genetic diversity of the crop system in Vietnam.

b) Forestry trees:

- Research and apply genetic technology (genetic engineering and molecular marker methods) to create new forestry tree varieties with superior forest and biological characteristics such as: high yield and quality; resistance to pests and diseases, and high tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. Create 2-4 short-cycle acacia and eucalyptus lines with fast growth, good wood quality, and low lignin content. Build DNA libraries for certain forestry trees and native trees.

- Apply cell technology in selecting and propagating forestry trees. Create 2-3 polyploid acacia and poplar varieties with fast growth, good wood quality, and high resistance to pests and diseases. Develop the micropropagation industry and meet the demand for forestry tree seeds by 2015.

- Research and apply microbial technology to produce plant protection products and biofertilizers to serve the care and protection of forestry trees. By 2010, research and create 2-3 specialized plant protection products and functional fertilizers for forestry trees; by 2015, develop these products at an industrial scale for forestry trees.

c) Livestock:

- Research and apply genetic technology (genetic engineering and molecular marker methods) to create new livestock breeds (poultry, pigs, cattle): for each species, create 1-2 lines with high yield and quality, high resistance and disease resistance under adverse environmental conditions.

- Research and improve the application of advanced animal cell technologies to enhance livestock reproduction efficiency, serving well for the preservation, storage, and conservation of reproductive cells and assessing livestock quality; apply embryo splitting and improve in vitro fertilization methods to serve animal reproduction. Widespread application of sperm and embryo freezing technologies for long-term preservation and conservation of local and rare gene pools in livestock. Apply genetic technology to determine the sex of bovine embryos at seven days old.

- Research the production of vaccines to prevent livestock diseases and functional feed; strive to produce and meet basic vaccine needs for livestock by 2015.

d) Microorganisms:

- Research and apply to produce trial and industrial-scale microbial products and highly effective plant protection products. Develop production processes and expand plant protection products for spraying on plants and soil to control ten major pests; have ten commercialized products. Develop models to widely apply plant protection products on vegetables, coffee, tea, flowers, grapes, cotton.

- Research the exploitation of soil microorganisms to restore, stabilize, and enhance soil fertility. Develop 1-2 production technology processes for soil-improving microbial products and usage models; establish 1-2 production bases for soil-improving microbial products.

- Research technologies, products, and solutions to serve post-harvest storage and long-term preservation and processing of agricultural products.

- Research and apply biotechnology to treat domestic wastewater; address environmental pollution in livestock areas, craft villages, rural areas, food processing factories, and rubber processing factories. Create five processing procedures for agricultural waste; five models for sugarcane bagasse and livestock waste treatment; five models for domestic wastewater and industrial process wastewater treatment.

2. Form and develop the agricultural biotechnology industry to promote the production, business, and service of main products in the agricultural biotechnology field.

- Establish and encourage businesses of all economic sectors to invest in technology transfer and reception activities; strongly and effectively apply new technological advancements to produce, trade, and provide services for main products created by agricultural biotechnology, serving consumption and export.

- Form and vigorously develop the agricultural biotechnology industry, creating favorable markets to encourage businesses to invest in large-scale production projects of main products (KT-KT projects). Promote the production, trading, and provision of products and goods generated by agricultural biotechnology in key areas such as: agricultural crop seed production industry, forestry tree seed production industry, industrial tree seed production industry, ornamental plant seed production industry; microbial industry, edible mushroom production industry; livestock seed production industry; biological fertilizer and plant protection product production industry; diagnostic kit and vaccine production industry for treating crop and livestock diseases; post-harvest preservation industry.

3. Build potential to develop agricultural biotechnology:

a) Train human resources:

- Send some scientific staff who already hold doctoral and master's degrees to countries with advanced biotechnology for further training for six months to one year.

- Send doctoral and master's candidates to countries with advanced biotechnology for training according to the research contents of the Program.

- Train national agricultural biotechnologists; open postgraduate programs in agricultural biotechnology domestically to train doctoral and master's candidates according to the research contents of the Program.

- Training domestic technicians in biotechnology to implement the Program's contents at localities and enterprises.

- The training of human resources for agricultural biotechnology during the period from 2006 to 2010 must achieve the following results: retraining 50 officials; training 60 to 80 new Ph.D.s, 200 to 250 new Master's degree holders; training 500 to 1,000 new technicians.

b) Building technical infrastructure; modernizing machinery and equipment:

- Investing deeply to upgrade the system of scientific research and training facilities in the field of agriculture and rural development; supplementing advanced machinery and equipment and modernizing laboratories within this system to enhance research and application capabilities of modern biotechnology in production and daily life.

- Completing investment and putting into operation two key laboratories on animal cell technology (under the Institute of Livestock) and plant cell technology (under the Institute of Agricultural Genetics, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences); adding to the "Project on Building Key Laboratories" to invest in building a new key laboratory on gene technology for the southern region (from Da Nang southward); based on these key laboratories, establishing and developing excellence centers for agricultural biotechnology.

- Establishing, networking, and operating a national database and information system on agricultural biotechnology; a library including basic publications in this field in book, journal, and electronic formats, ensuring full provision and sharing of the most fundamental and latest information on agricultural biotechnology among units and personnel working in this field.

4. International cooperation in the field of agricultural biotechnology:

- Implementing approximately 50 joint research topics and projects with foreign organizations and individuals to utilize knowledge, technology, advanced machinery and equipment, and other forms of assistance from around the world to rapidly and strongly develop agricultural biotechnology in Vietnam and address some important and urgent issues.

- Vigorously promoting the transfer, reception, mastery, and widespread effective application of new technological advancements and scientific achievements from around the world in agricultural biotechnology in Vietnam's agricultural production.

III. SOME KEY SOLUTIONS:

1. Vigorously implementing and effectively carrying out research topics and production projects, encouraging technology transfer, creating favorable markets, and strongly promoting the formation and development of the agricultural biotechnology industry:

- Vigorously implementing research topics: basic research, applied research, scientific research and technology development (R&D); trial production projects (P projects); main product production projects at industrial scale (KT-KT projects), and international cooperation projects on agricultural biotechnology approved or considered for support by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (based on the proposal of the Program Management Board and the evaluation and review opinions of the Scientific Advisory Council). The selection, organization, implementation, evaluation, and acceptance of results of these research topics and projects must strictly comply with current state regulations on scientific and technological activities.

- Creating favorable markets and strongly promoting the formation and development of the agricultural biotechnology industry to produce, trade, and provide services for main products at industrial scale, with high quality and competitiveness in the market, serving consumption and export well.

- Encouraging the transfer, reception, and importation of new technologies with economic efficiency; quickly applying and strongly utilizing technological advancements in the field of agricultural biotechnology in production and daily life. Promoting the establishment of businesses under all forms of ownership, encouraging their operations and investments in technology transfer, production, trade, and service provision for products created by agricultural biotechnology. Businesses operating in the field of agricultural biotechnology will enjoy the highest preferential policies according to current state regulations on loans, taxes, and land use rights.

2. Capital for implementing the Program; strengthening and diversifying sources of investment capital to develop agricultural biotechnology:

a) The total state budget capital for implementing the Program's contents over the next ten years (2006-2015) is estimated at about 1 trillion VND (on average 100 billion VND per year). This capital will be allocated for the implementation of tasks related to basic research, applied research, scientific research and technology development, trial production of products, supporting production projects of main products at industrial scale; enhancing technical infrastructure, machinery, and equipment; training human resources, international cooperation, and other relevant contents of the Program. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will prepare annual and long-term state budget capital plans to serve the implementation of the Program's contents, sending them to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and submission to the Prime Minister.

Starting from 2006, based on the total approved capital, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance will allocate 100 billion VND annually from the state budget to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the implementation of the Program's contents each year.

b) Forms of investment and investment support for agricultural biotechnology include:

- Investing in basic research topics, applied research topics, scientific research and technology development (R&D); purchasing machinery and equipment for research and training of human resources in agricultural biotechnology can use 100% of state budget capital for the development of science and technology undertakings, economic undertakings, and capital from international cooperation sources.

- Pilot production projects for agricultural biotechnology products (P projects) shall be implemented in accordance with current regulations applicable to state-level P projects (administered by the Ministry of Science and Technology), wherein the recovery rate is 60% of the total project budget.

- Industrial-scale production projects for key agricultural biotechnology products with high quality and market competitiveness (KT-KT projects) serving domestic consumption and export within the framework of the technical-economic program on agricultural biotechnology shall be supported with state budget funds according to the current regulations of four technical-economic programs (headed by the Ministry of Planning and Investment), taking into account the specific characteristics of agricultural biotechnology.

c) Enhance and diversify investment capital sources to implement the Program and develop agricultural biotechnology: In addition to state budget funds, it is necessary to actively mobilize additional capital from production, business, and service enterprises of all economic sectors; capital from organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally participating in investment or sponsorship for the development of agricultural biotechnology in the country; capital from international cooperation sources (non-refundable aid through bilateral, multilateral cooperation projects, ODA loans for the construction of technical infrastructure, purchase of machinery and equipment, and training of human resources for agricultural biotechnology...).

3. Strengthen the construction of material and technical facilities and the training of human resources for agricultural biotechnology:

- Accelerate the construction of material and technical facilities for research institutes and centers in agricultural biotechnology; speed up the modernization of research and analytical equipment in laboratories under these institutes and centers.

- Intensify the retraining and recruitment of scientific and technological cadres at home and abroad at various levels: doctoral, master's, bachelor's, engineer, and technician; to meet the demand for human resources to effectively implement the Program and serve the development of agricultural biotechnology in the country.

4. Improve mechanisms, policies, and legal regulatory systems to promote the development and application of agricultural biotechnology:

- Vigorously carry out the drafting and promulgation, either within authority or by submission for promulgation, of preferential mechanisms and policies for investment in developing agricultural biotechnology; mechanisms and policies aimed at attracting talent such as salary or allowances for cadres working in the field of agricultural biotechnology; supplement, amend, and perfect legal regulatory systems to support and promote the widespread development and application of biotechnology to serve rural life, agriculture, and rural development.

- Fully and strictly enforce intellectual property regulations to protect copyright and industrial property rights (plant variety rights, animal breed rights, microorganism rights, process technology rights...) in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

5. Strengthen international cooperation; intensify publicity efforts to raise awareness among all levels, sectors, and the general public about the important role of agricultural biotechnology:

- Strengthen international cooperation in the field of agricultural biotechnology; proactively and actively build bilateral and multilateral cooperation programs and projects with countries having advanced biotechnology to maximize intellectual and financial assistance from these countries for the development of agricultural biotechnology in the country.

- Intensify information dissemination, education, and publicity to raise awareness among all levels, sectors, and the general public about the crucial role of biotechnology in human development generally and in agriculture specifically. Regularly disseminate the latest scientific and technological knowledge and achievements in biotechnology, as well as prominent application results of agricultural biotechnology in production and daily life through mass media.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION:

To take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries and sectors to urge, inspect, supervise, and resolve issues arising during the implementation of this Decree. shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology, relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to organize the implementation of the Program contents, and report annually to the Prime Minister on the results.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall establish a Steering Committee for the Program to organize the implementation of its contents, with the Minister serving as Chairman, the Deputy Minister responsible for the sector serving as Vice-Chairman, and the representative of the Science and Technology Department serving as Secretary; other members include representatives of functional agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives at the Directorate level (Department) of some ministries, sectors, and localities (Office of the Government, Ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, Science and Technology, Education and Training, People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). The Steering Committee operates according to the Rules of Procedure issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development also serving as Chairman of the Steering Committee.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance shall ensure adequate budget allocation in the annual plan for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement the Program contents accurately and effectively.

3. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in building and enhancing the capacity of material and technical facilities, machinery, and equipment for the system of scientific and technological research institutions in agricultural biotechnology; establishing preferential mechanisms for biotechnology research; formulating investment mechanisms and operational rules for excellence centers and related regulations on intellectual property in the field of agricultural biotechnology.

4. The Ministry of Industrycooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in planning the development of the agricultural biotechnology industry; establish incentive mechanisms and policies for businesses investing and operating in the agricultural biotechnology industry.

5. The Ministry of Education and Trainingcooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in training human resources to serve the development of agricultural biotechnology and the agricultural biotechnology industry.

6. Ministries, sectors, localities, and businessesthat have a need to participate in implementing the contents of the Program related to their own functions and responsibilities shall register with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for consideration.

Article 2. The Standard Measurement Quality Control Department shall be responsible for organizing and guiding the implementation of the Regulations adopted herein.

Article 3. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, and relevant organizations and individuals are responsible for enforcing this Decision./.