Illustrative photo. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has asked for the restructuring of crop production in order to further develop the agricultural sector.
Speaking at a ceremony in Hanoi on January 7 to mark the 10th founding anniversary of the ministry’s Department of Crop Production, Phat affirmed that the crop production holds an extremely important position in agricultural production.
However, the sector is vulnerable to disasters, climate change, and changes in the world market, he said.
According to head of the department Ma Quang Trung, crop production now accounts for 73 percent of the agricultural sector’s gross domestic production (GDP). The export revenue of farm produce makes up more than half of the total agricultural export value.
The crop production sector contributes seven of the ten major agricultural products, earning over 1 billion USD from export annually. Vietnam is now the world’s largest exporter of pepper and cashew nut, and the world’s second biggest exporter of coffee and rice.
In addition, the quality of several agricultural products has been improving in recent years. Vietnamese rice, litchi, dragon fruit, longan, and tea have found their way to choosy markets like the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the EU.
The crop production sector enjoys an average annual growth of 3 percent, and has contributed to ensuring food security and alleviating poverty and hunger, he added.-VNA
