Truong Sa archipelago to become self-sufficient in food

Local residents and soldiers living in the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago are expected to be mostly self-sufficient in food when a project launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Currently, the islanders are dependent on food imported from mainland. The 30-month project, that will be completed next year, is run by the Institute of Agricultural Science for southern Vietnam. With a budget of about 3.5 billion VND (USD170,000), the project is piloted on eight islands, Ngo Quang Vinh, deputy director of the institute told Vietnam news agency on Tuesday. Under the project, 2,000-square metres of vegetable gardens will be planted and 500 green houses erected. Three to four kinds of fruit trees will also be planted on the islands, Vinh said. Some 300 agriculture ministry officials be trained to transfer livestock breeding and cultivation techniques. Le Viet Binh, deputy head of the agriculture ministry's southern office said: "The project is valuable for soldiers and residents on the islands as they will be able to provide 80 percent of their daily food needs. The islanders were not self-sufficient due to shortage of fresh water and cultivated land, combined with severe weather conditions. A research has been conducted on the agriculture conditions in the archipelago, and found that the local residents are currently using jute bags and sheets of bamboo and metal to protect their vegetable gardens from poor weather. To enrich the soil on the islands, the institute plans to use coconut fibre as a natural fertiliser since it is light and easily transported to other islands. In addition, the institute plans to breed cows, pigs, chickens and ducks on the island.