“Total capital flow in the sector over three years was VND256.2 trillion (USD12.29 billion), 1.95 times higher than figures in the 2006 – 2008 period,” said Giau.
“However, most ministries, departments, and localities have faced capital shortage for investment in the three-agro industry,” he added.
Other delegates also pointed out several shortcomings in the investment targeting the sector.
For instance, Nguyen Thi Kim Be, deputy head of the delegation from Kien Giang Province, said the project to set up a water pumping station for the Mekong Delta has yet to be completed, even though it was approved by the Prime Minister in 2009.
“Farmers are desperately waiting for the station to come online,” she told delegates.
Meanwhile Nguyen Quoc Cuong, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmer Association, said the government’s investment in the “three-agro” sector has, in reality, only met around 55 – 60 percent of total demand.
“The government alone can hardly ensure investment for the sector, and thus it’s necessary that we have policies to attract investment from other sectors,” he urged.
Little benefit
According to the supervision report, the income gap between rural and urban areas, as recorded in the central province of Quang Nam, is 1.5 times, and the figure between those with the highest and lowest income is 6.
“The gap between living standards of rural and urban residents has increasingly widened,” said Nguyen Thanh Thuy, who represents Binh Dinh Province.
“Farmers are those who enjoy the least amount of benefits gained from the country’s eco-social development.”
However, in 2011, the ratio of underprivileged households in rural areas dropped to 9.45 percent, down by 12 percentage point compared to 2006, according to the report.