The sector’s export turnover is set to reach over 43 billion USD, while atleast 50 percent of communes and 70 district-level units are expected to be recognised asnew-style rural areas in the year ahead. The forest coverage is projected toreach 41.85 percent.
At the event, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development (MARD) to accelerate the sector’s restructuring inconnection with growth model reform, rural economic development, and new-style ruralbuilding.
He called for more efforts in developing markets, supply-demand forecast work, andbuilding branding for Vietnamese agro-forestry-aquaculture products.
The new-style rural area building should focus on improving the incomes andmaterial conditions of local people, he stressed.
The agro-forestry-aquaculture GDP in 2018 reported growth of 3.76 percent –arecord figure for the last seven years. Its production value increased 3.86percent. The rate of forest coverage was 41.65 percent. The sector’s export turnover was estimated to reach 40.02 billion USD.
A total of 3,787 communes nationwide or 42.4percent were recognised as new-style rural areas, representing a year-on-yearrise of 8.02 percent.
In 2018, the agriculture and rural development sectoractively responded to complicated developments of weather, while being flexiblein adapting to changes in the agricultural market and ensuring safe production.
It gradually overcame internal weaknesses of small-scale production in responseto the requirement of large-scale commodity production.
Therefore, the industry achieved high results, creating a substantive change inthe three strategic breakthroughs – restructuring the agricultural sector inassociation with the renovation of the growth model and new rural building.
The production structure continued to be adjusted appropriately,moreeffectively, and in line with the market demand. Value chain-based production wasexpanded, helping improve the output of many types of high value-addedagricultural products, meeting domestic and export demands.
A highlight of the sector in 2018 was that localities have organised measures to timelysupport the consumption of agricultural products through conferences, festivals,and forums to promote the popularity of farm products.
As many as 2,200 agricultural enterprises were newly established in 2018, up12.3 percent year-on-year, lifting the total of those nationwide to 9,235.
However, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong pointedout limitations, weaknesses, and many challenges that must be overcome in thetime ahead.
He underlined the need to speed up the restructuring of the agriculture sector acrosslocalities, and swiftly remove the EC’s“yellow card” warning on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In order to successfully implement the goals andtasks set for it, the agricultural sector aims to build a smart agriculture inthe direction of promoting international integration and climate changeadaptation, as well as increasing the added value of products and sustainabledevelopment in connection with building prosperous and civilized new style-ruralareas.
Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said the sector needs to boostproduction, improve product quality, open markets, and take advantage of the tariffpreferences brought about by free trade agreements.
Building brand names based on the quality of products must be considered aleading factor, he stressed, adding that high-tech agricultural development and thereorganisation of production must aim to improve the competitiveness ofproducts.–VNA