Da Nang has established the first Green Technology Institute for Herb and Agricultural Gene Conservation in the central region.

A rare plant is found in the forest of the Ba Na-Nui Chua Nature Reserve in Da Nang

The municipal Union of Science and Engineering Associations said the institute would focus on research and conservation of precious and rare genes including more than 400 genes of herbs and plants in Da Nang and 11 provinces in the central region and highlands.

The union said the institute would also help develop high-tech farming and post-harvest technology among mass agricultural production in the community.

According to latest report from the union, the Son Tra Nature Reserve, which is 600m above sea level, is home to 287 animal species and 985 plant species, including nearly 1,000 herb genes.

Meanwhile, the 28,000ha Ba Na-Nui Chua Nature Reserve is home to 626 animal species and 793 plant species, including several endangered primates such as the Red-Shanked Douc, the northern buff-cheeked gibbon and Edwards’s pheasant, which are rarely seen in nature.

The city plans seven suburban communes in Hoa Vang District for high-tech farms on a total area of 540ha – a crucial step to boost high quality and safe agriculture, and build the city as a centre of nano-industry and world-class high-tech farms.

In 2014, FAO Viet Nam in co-operation with the India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA) Fund helped the city build a rice seed research centre in resilience to climate change.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)