Da Nang (VNA) – Members of the Asian Farmers’ Groupfor Cooperation (AFGC) gathered at their 19th annual meeting in Da Nang city onMarch 20 to share experience in dealing with challenges from climate changefacing farmers across Asia.

It attracted representatives from India,Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines,Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Data of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA)show that there are currently about 13,710 agricultural cooperatives and 68,000cooperative groups with 7 million members in the country.

Pham Thi Hong Yen, head of the VCA’s InternationalCooperation Department, said that in 2018, Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fisheriessector posted a growth rate of 7.08 percent – the fastest pace since 2012. Exportsof agro-forestry-aquatic products set a record of some 40.5 billion USD,helping the country affirm itself as a major agricultural exporter.

However, Vietnam’s agriculture is suffering fromserious impacts of climate change, she noted, citing statistics of the WorldBank that Vietnam bears the most severe consequences on population and GDPgrowth among 84 developing coastal nations affected by the sea level rise. Riceproductivity in the Mekong Delta – the largest agricultural hub of the country– could drop by 40.5 percent if the sea level rises by just 1 cm.

Meanwhile, Vietnam ranks second in terms ofimpacts on the agricultural production land area, which may shrink by 12percent in the Red River Delta and 24 percent in the Mekong Delta.

Cooperatives are facing numerous difficulties inresponding to climate change, Yen said, pointing to problems in state agencies’management activities, cooperatives’ access to climate change information,application of technological advances, and financial and human resourcescapacity.

Supporting cooperatives in the face of climatechange, in 2018, the VCA carried out 77 models in which cooperatives associatedtheir production with value chains. It helped them apply technologies toproduction activities and ensure the sale of their agricultural products. Eachmodel was also assisted with 1,000 USD.

Yen added the VCA plans to implement another 77models nationwide this year, offering each of them 2,000 USD in financialsupport.

Poramate Intarachumnum, head of the cooperativefederation of Thailand, said there are 4,500 agricultural cooperatives inThailand. To help them cope with climate change, the organisation has launchedmany initiatives, including a project on planting trees and saving water.

In this project, cooperatives plant trees in their areas toprotect the environment and water resources, thus maintaining the soil’s moisture.All 4,500 cooperatives have taken part in this drive.

The AFGC, initiated by Japan’s Central Union ofAgricultural Cooperatives, was set up in Tokyo in 1999 with a view to sharinginformation about and experience in developing agriculture and agriculturalcooperatives, helping to improve farmers’ incomes and living standards, copingwith climate change and food security problems, and promoting cooperation amongmembers. The VCA became a member of the AFGC in 2011.

The 19th AFGC annual meeting is scheduled tolast through until March 21.–VNA