Agriculture restructures toward modernization and sustainability

The Party resolution on agriculture, farmers and rural areas launched in 2008 aims to develop modern and sustainable agriculture and competent farmers in building new rural areas. In the last decade, Vietnam’s agriculture has helped stabilize the macro-economy, control inflation, generate jobs, reduce poverty, and raise Vietnam’s status internationally.

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Vietnam’s food security has been ensured, with aquaculture production increasing 26% and animal husbandry increasing 27%. Vietnam’s agricultural export has gained a bigger foothold in the international market with staple products like rice, rubber, coffee, cashew nuts, shrimp, and tropical fruit. The agricultural sector’s GDP increased nearly 2.7%. Over 3,000 communes met the criteria of new-style rural areas. Technology has become more widespread in agriculture, with 7.2 million rural workers attending vocational training.

Breakthroughs in agricultural restructuring

The Resolution aimed to raise public awareness and achieve social consensus on the need to restructure the agricultural sector. Now agricultural production must promote local advantages to meet market demand and adapt to climate change. Overseas markets for Vietnamese products have been expanded, with more products now qualified for export. Vietnamese farm produce is sold in 180 countries and territories.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said: “We should enhance agriculture restructuring by reviewing each sector and focusing on Vietnam’s staple products for which there is worldwide demand. Technology should be applied to all processes to leverage the 4th Industrial Revolution. The rural economy should be improved to make production more efficient and reduce rural workers by one third.”

Developing a modern, competitive agricultural sector

Vietnam will continue to strengthen agricultural restructuring, promote local advantages, increase productivity, improve quality, focus more on the domestic market, and enhance competitiveness. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said: “Vietnam intends to develop a modern agriculture to compete in international markets. We need to increase added values and grow sustainably. Businesses and cooperatives are the driving force for agricultural development.”

In the next two years Vietnam hopes to boost agriculture revenues by 3 percent annually, agricultural labor productivity by 3.5%, and the incomes of rural residents to 2 to 3 times what they earned in 2015. Other targets include: 50% of communes meet the new rural criteria, 15,000 cooperatives are operating smoothly, and forest coverage reaches 42%.