|
|
|
2002
International Travel Seminar
Class Diary |
March 11, 2002
|
Vietnam Agriculture
|
Hanoi, Vietnam
|
|
|
We began our day with a hectic drive to the
U.S. Embassy. This was our first experience with business day
traffic and curb-to-curb motorbikes, which dominate the
streets of Hanoi and account for the second most number of
fatalities in the cities.
We were addressed at the Embassy by Henry
Schmick, Foreign Ag Service and Robert Porter, Deputy Chief of
the Mission, who gave us a general background on U.S.
diplomatic activity in Vietnam since 1995. He was followed by
David Wise, political officer and Greg Wong, Foreign
Commercial Service. Mr. Schmick then introduced us to Joyce
Estep and Jane Bardon, who are traveling in Vietnam to conduct
research on economics. |
This crane represents a typical
loading and unloading method.
|
From the Embassy, we traveled by motorcoach
again to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
There, Vice-Minister Bui Ba Dong presented an overview of Vietnam agriculture. He told us that 70% of the population is
rural and very poor. His ministry is focusing on improving the
quality of ag products. Vietnam’s primary products are coffee,
rice and tea. His ministry is looking to increase their
processing of fruits and vegetables and coffee, which is now
primarily exported as raw materials. |
| |
|
The Government has set a policy to switch some rice production
to high value crops such as fish and shrimp and forestry, but
that farmers are resistant to these changes. |
Dale Clary hams it up with Mr. Van Duong, Vice Chairman of
the Vietnam Inland Waterway Transport Association
|
| |
|
Local women are processing pineapples prior to canning at
the Vegetexco I Hanoi plant.
|
From the Ministry of Agriculture,
we gathered for an authentic Vietnamese lunch before splitting
into four smaller groups. One group went to visit a food
processing plant, another a technical research facility and
another group visited the Institute of Agricultural Genetics.
The fourth group traveled for three hours on a boat with
members of the Ministry of Transportation, viewing the minimal
port facilities of Hanoi.
|
| The
class returned to the hotel in the late afternoon, regrouped
and joined USV (United States Vietnam) Limited for a briefing
and reception. USV Limited is the first privately owned
company licensed by the Vietnamese Government to an overseas
Vietnamese citizen with U.S. citizenship. It has gained a
reliable reputation as one of the most highly successful
consulting services firms in the field of telecommunications,
and has agricultural projects as well. Following the
briefings and during the reception planned in our honor, many
classmates took time to ponder how Vietnam differed from China
and what we might expect in Hong Kong. |
| |
|
|
Chairs: Dan Meyer, Brian Puetz, Mary Auth |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
