Extra funds for plant strains, drugs
HCM CITY — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved the allocation of an additional sum of VND6.6 billion (US$347,400) from the Central Budget Reserve to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to purchase more plant strains, veterinary drugs and plant protection drugs to maintain national reserves. The approval comes as the blue-ear disease that afflicts pigs has spread to many parts of the country and clear signs that the incidence of plant diseases, including the rice grassy stunt disease and rice ragged stunt disease was on the increase.
The availability of plant strains, veterinary drugs and plant protection drugs would facilitate the control of diseases to minimise losses to farmers, the agriculture ministry said. — VNS