In 2024, Vietnam's agricultural sector will export a record 62.5 billion USD, an increase of 9.5 billion USD compared to the previous year. The agricultural trade surplus will also reach 18.6 billion USD, many times higher than the 6.5 - 12.2 billion USD of the 2015 - 2023 period.
The Prime Minister visited booths introducing OCOP products of the agricultural sector - Photo: C.TUỆ
At the conference to review the agricultural sector in 2024 and deploy tasks for 2025 on December 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that the agricultural sector must focus on building agricultural product brands, building raw material areas, building markets, and geographical indications.
Outstanding success in key product groups
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that this year, key export items such as wood, vegetables, rice, and coffee all set new records. Notably, coffee exports reached nearly 5.5 billion USD, an increase of more than 1 billion USD compared to the previous record, despite a decrease in output.
The average export price of coffee increased sharply from 2,500 USD/ton to more than 4,000 USD/ton, pushing domestic prices up to 100,000 - 134,000 VND/kg, bringing a "bumper harvest" year for farmers in the Central Highlands. Fruit and vegetable exports in 2024 also reached a historic high of 7.12 billion USD, of which durian contributed more than 3 billion USD.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, this is the result of many years of accumulation, especially with perennial crops such as durian, grapefruit and longan. Major markets such as China have accepted the official export of 15 types of fruit, helping the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable industry grow strongly. Durian increased by 47%, banana increased by 21%, longan increased by 363% and coconut increased by 71%.
Despite many achievements, the fruit and vegetable industry still faces weaknesses such as unstable quality, low safety levels and easily broken supply chains. Mr. Binh emphasized that if these problems are not resolved soon, they could reduce the industry's reputation in the eyes of consumers.
It is forecasted that in 2025, the agricultural sector may face new difficulties due to global economic fluctuations, US-China trade tensions and a high trade surplus with the US. However, Mr. Binh believes that Vietnam's production potential and export capacity will help maintain the growth rate.
GC Food Company's aloe vera processing factory for export to the Middle East market - Photo: VAMINH
Regarding the 2025 target, the Prime Minister set a target of 3.5-4% GDP growth for the agricultural sector and 70 billion USD in agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover.
Proposal to improve and expand the market
At the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the achievements made in the challenging context. The agricultural sector demonstrated the spirit of "turning nothing into something", overcoming difficulties from the disrupted world market and domestic natural disasters to ensure food security, while maintaining stable exports.
However, the Prime Minister also pointed out limitations that need to be overcome. The agricultural sector has not yet fully exploited its potential and competitive advantages, especially in building strategies and policies for sustainable development.
To address these problems, the Prime Minister proposed five key solutions: building strong brands for Vietnamese agricultural products, planning raw material areas, developing markets, improving geographical indications and product packaging, and providing capital support for farmers.
In the market development strategy, the Prime Minister emphasized the diversification of export markets, effectively utilizing free trade agreements such as EVFTA and CPTPP. The goal is to reduce dependence on some traditional markets, while expanding to new potential markets.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, warned against complacency with the achievements, while emphasizing the need to overcome weaknesses in product quality and safety.
He proposed focusing on applying advanced post-harvest technology to minimize losses and increase product value, as well as enhancing businesses' compliance with market requirements.
Regarding exports, he recommended stepping up negotiations to expand official export markets, supporting producers in establishing codes for growing areas and packaging facilities. In particular, it is necessary to develop national standards for key export fruits and vegetables.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nong-san-viet-xuat-khau-dat-con-so-ky-luc-62-5-ti-usd-20241227223718102.htm
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