The Vietnamese delegation to JENESYS 2019 including 14 executive officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) visited JIRCAS on February 20, 2020 for the purpose of exchanging opinions on sustainable management of agricultural lands. JENESYS 2019 is an international exchange program promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. As the 25th batch of invited participants from ASEAN, the delegation inspected facilities related to agricultural land development technology in Tokyo, Saitama, Ibaraki, and Chiba Prefectures from February 17 to 23, 2020.

After an overview of JIRCAS, Senior Researcher MINAMIKAWA Kazunori introduced the effects of medium-drying on rice growth and yield in Japan, as well as an observed case of reducing GHGs through alternating wetting and drying (AWD) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Next, Director FUJIWARA Nobuyoshi Rural Development Division (Project Leader, Climate Change Measures), explained the necessity of paddy field ICT technology in Japan, the process leading to its widespread use, the effects of its application, and the similarities and differences with paddy fields in Vietnam. The visiting delegation also introduced the current status and future plans of agricultural and rural development in Vietnam.

In the current 4th Medium to Long-term Plan, JIRCAS is implementing research projects in Vietnam such as the “Climate Change Measures” project and the “Pest and Disease Control” project. Through these activities, we hope that our research results will lead to the development of cooperative relations between the two countries.