With the message 'Flexible adaptation - Unleashing resources - Accelerating breakthroughs', changing mindset, increasing the value of agricultural products, the agricultural sector confidently enters the new year.
Mr. Le Minh Hoan - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development had an interview with reporters of Cong Thuong Newspaper about the new era of the agricultural sector on the occasion of Tet holiday.
- In 2024, agricultural, forestry and fishery exports will reach an impressive figure of 62.5 billion USD. What does the Minister think about this achievement?
Minister Le Minh Hoan: To achieve results like in 2024, we must first appreciate farmers, especially those who suffered losses after storm No. 3. Because any victory without the support of farmers is very difficult.
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| In 2024, our country will achieve a record in rice export with 18 million tons, turnover of 5.75 billion USD. Illustrative photo |
In addition, the dynamism of localities in converting from agricultural production thinking to agricultural economic thinking. Last year, Son La, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Tay Nguyen and Southeast,... were very active, organizing many trade fairs to connect markets.
Export markets are very diverse. Each market has different standards, regulations, and technical barriers. Information from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, etc. has been sent to localities and from there it is quickly transmitted to farmers.
The initiative of ministries, branches, the dynamism of localities, the participation of associations, industries, businesses and farmers have helped shape the habit of producing according to market signals, we sell what the market needs, not what we have. Or in other words, we turn products into commodities. Products are what we can make, and commodities are what the market needs and we can sell. These are the factors that help bring the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in 2024 to 62.5 billion USD.
- However, many opinions say that there is still a lot of room for exporting agricultural, forestry and fishery products, because currently, most of our products are mainly exported in raw form. What is your comment on this?
Minister Le Minh Hoan: Although the market has many difficulties, it also has a lot of potential that we have not yet exploited with all that we have.
For example, circular agriculture. Perhaps, the agricultural sector has just started in its infancy on this path. For a long time, farmers have only known how to grow rice, harvest rice grains to sell, and sometimes forget that in addition to rice, we also have straw, stubble, chaff... which can be used as substrate or as pellets for biomass energy. If we only look at rice grains, it means we are only looking at the lowest level in the value chain - selling raw products.
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| Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan. Photo: Bao Thang |
Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development signed a protocol on exporting frozen durian to China, contributing to gradually increasing the proportion of processed products. Processed products have a value dozens, hundreds of times higher than semi-raw products.
Besides, if we only look at a local, single industry, the value obtained will also be very low. For example, with coffee, for a long time people have only been interested in selling coffee beans, and the water brewed from coffee beans, which only accounts for about 2% of the value, while the remaining 98% of the value is discarded. Meanwhile, coffee grounds can be reused as a substrate for hydroponic vegetables, as fertilizer to improve soil, and even processed into cosmetics.
Many countries have applied the circular principle to coffee grounds. They use coffee grounds to grow mushrooms, then use all the remaining by-products after harvesting the mushrooms as animal feed. How can we exploit this 98% of discarded value is the question.
Such models of ecological agriculture and green agriculture force us to think differently in production management. Instead of throwing away and having to spend more time processing to protect the environment, we can apply the circular principle so that nothing is thrown away. I want to emphasize this so that everyone can see that the 2024 results are very good, but with the world changing rapidly, we still have room to do better.
- What is the solution for the new year, Minister?
Minister Le Minh Hoan: In the era of knowledge-based agriculture, green agriculture, digital agriculture, circular agriculture, interconnected agriculture, multi-sector and multi-sector linkages, fragmentation in the apparatus is limiting development space. If changed, the agricultural sector can grow by more than 3.5%, with exports higher than 62.5 billion USD.
In that context, one of the important solutions is to apply modern and sustainable agricultural models. Models such as circular agriculture, precision agriculture, digital agriculture, etc. will help optimize resources, minimize negative impacts on the environment and ensure long-term development.
Accordingly, circular agriculture is the key to minimizing resource waste and protecting the environment. By combining cultivation, livestock and aquaculture in a reasonable way, circular agriculture not only helps increase productivity but also protects the ecosystem, creating added value from agricultural products.
The added value of the agricultural sector may also lie in unaccounted circular agricultural products. Integrated farming models not only bring economic efficiency but also protect the land, reduce emissions, and bring great value.
Precision and smart agriculture is a development trend based on scientific and technological advances, helping farmers to monitor and manage accurately and effectively. Thereby, helping to reduce costs, optimize productivity, and bring benefits to both producers and consumers.
Multi-level value agriculture is an important step in building agricultural product brands, combining processing, packaging, marketing and export. This helps Vietnamese agricultural products create a sustainable value chain from production to consumption.
For these agricultural models to operate effectively, it is necessary to transform the management model. Specifically, shifting from a single-sector to a multi-sector management mindset, applying models that combine agriculture with forestry, aquaculture, tourism, etc. to help create a comprehensive development ecosystem, optimize resources and bring higher value.
On the other hand, Vietnam has more than 33 million hectares of natural land and about 100 million hectares of sea surface, but agriculture in the new era may have reached the time to go beyond administrative boundaries.
In the era of national development, should we accept exploiting what we have? We can cooperate with other countries to grow crops and raise livestock, and at the same time form larger ocean-going fleets to cooperate with other countries to exploit seafood in the Pacific Ocean.
To grow, we must go beyond the territorial space and connect, creating more multi-layered values. Thinking in a single industry at a low level will not catch up and miss the opportunity. If we are slow and miss the opportunity compared to countries investing in agriculture, rice cultivation, and livestock farming in Africa, then Vietnam will find it very difficult to sell agricultural products to this market. Changing management thinking from a single industry to a multi-industry will create connections, thereby bringing exponential efficiency, not just arithmetic.
- Bringing products to the world market, trade promotion is considered extremely important, can you share more about this?
Minister Le Minh Hoan: In the new era, we need to think differently, think bigger together. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to organize a Fruit Festival in Beijing (China) with the hope of bringing agricultural products deep into the country's interior. To sell agricultural products at high prices, there must be spaces to display and promote agricultural products in the center of China - the world's largest consumer of agricultural products.
Gone are the days when Vietnamese agricultural products were exported in small quantities, around the border. We now have to think bigger, with a clear message that ministries, branches, embassies, and trade agencies abroad are always by the side of businesses.
Thank you!
| With the philosophy of “in the rain, if you look down you will see mud, but if you look forward you will see a rainbow”. Together, let’s end the old year with pride and look straight at the limitations to enter 2025 with the action message of “Adapt flexibly - Unleash resources - Accelerate breakthroughs”. |
Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-truong-le-minh-hoan-doi-tu-duy-nang-gia-tri-nong-san-371515.html
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