Agriculture sees limited IT applications
By Thanh Thuong - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has admitted in a report that many departments and agencies under it have hosted very limited information technology (IT) applications with some lacking their own website.
T
he Forest Protection Department, facilitated with modern IT infrastructure capable of handling sustainable IT applications and databases, has been ranked first in the sector.
The newly-established Aquaculture Department ranks last in IT application.
Many other departments under the ministry lack adequate IT infrastructure and have no public service based on IT applications.
The Veterinary Department has the best website with the best web-based activities and public services due to the necessity of timely informing of the spread of cattle and poultry diseases, including the recent bird flu.
It also received strong international support for enhancing pandemic forecast and prevention.
The ministry’s website ranks high for best websites for updated news on administration and available public services.
However, IT operations of the ministry’s municipal arms, especially those in remote areas or upland regions like Phu Tho, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh and Thai Binh, remain poor with a low rate of computers per capita. The rates in Hoa Binh and Phu Tho are 0.05 and 0.11 computers per capita.
The more funding from provincial and city governments, the stronger the IT infrastructure and application of municipal units are, said the ministry.