The agricultural sector has "turned the difficult into the easy, the impossible into the possible"

At the conference to review the work in 2024 and deploy the 2025 plan of the agriculture and rural development sector on the afternoon of December 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the efforts, results and achievements of the agricultural sector, making important contributions to the overall achievements and results of the whole country in 2024.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that in 2024, our country overcame many challenges, resolved many difficulties, and achieved many achievements in all fields; people's lives became increasingly prosperous and happy; the country's prestige and position were raised.

In addition to the results stated in the report, the Prime Minister emphasized three outstanding achievements and results of the agricultural sector, including the work of preventing, combating and quickly overcoming the consequences of storm No. 3.

Pham Minh Chinh
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the agricultural sector to strive to achieve an export turnover of 70 billion USD by 2025. Photo: NNVN

The agricultural sector has also affirmed the spirit of "turning nothing into something, turning difficult into easy, turning impossible into possible", in the face of difficulties caused by market disruptions, natural disasters and floods... Along with that, promoting the application of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation to respond to climate change, develop digital economy, green economy, circular economy, sharing economy...

However, the Prime Minister pointed out the limitations and weaknesses that the industry needs to focus on overcoming in the coming time.

For example, the industry has not fully exploited and developed its distinct potential, outstanding opportunities, competitive advantages and rice civilization. The work of building planning, strategies, institutions, mechanisms and policies to serve rapid and sustainable development is still limited. The removal of the EC's "yellow card" for seafood fishing still faces many difficulties and challenges...

Regarding lessons learned, the Prime Minister emphasized that the mindset must be clear, determination must be high, efforts must be great, actions must be drastic and effective, each task must be completed; clearly assigning people, tasks, time, responsibilities, and products; strengthening inspection and supervision; closely and effectively coordinating between agencies, units, and localities inside and outside the industry, and promoting international cooperation.

In addition, it is necessary to closely follow the situation and market, respond to policies quickly and promptly, harmonize benefits, and share risks with partners, especially in times of difficulty and challenge.

In particular, to develop potential and advantageous products and fields, it is necessary to focus on building agricultural product brands, so that when talking about coffee, pepper, and cashew nuts, people will talk about Vietnam. There must be planning for raw material areas, market development, building geographical indications, designs, etc.

Exports strive to reach 70 billion USD

According to the Prime Minister, 2025 is the year of acceleration and breakthrough to the finish line of the entire 2021-2025 term. Therefore, the agricultural sector must also accelerate and break through, striving for a GDP growth rate of 3.5-4% for the entire agricultural sector, and strive for a total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to reach 70 billion USD...

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also requested to focus on implementing the industry development plan for 2025; at the same time, well organize Party Congresses at all levels and arrange and consolidate the organization, streamline the apparatus in the direction of minimizing interference, avoiding overlap, perfecting functions and tasks better and more comprehensively; strengthen decentralization and delegation of power along with resource allocation, improve implementation capacity and strengthen supervision and inspection; eliminate intermediaries, avoid inconvenience and harassment for people and businesses; ensure publicity and transparency, promote digital transformation to reduce costs for people and businesses.

Streamlining the apparatus must be associated with streamlining the payroll, restructuring and improving the quality of the staff, ensuring that the apparatus after reorganization is truly streamlined, strong, operating smoothly, effectively and efficiently.

Besides, it is necessary to continue focusing on perfecting institutions, building mechanisms, policies, strategies, and planning, and doing it methodically but urgently, quickly removing bottlenecks for development.

According to the Prime Minister, the agricultural sector must reorganize production towards sustainable development based on potential and advantages. It is necessary to apply high technology, focus on developing quality products; develop enterprises in the agricultural sector, and overcome the situation of small-scale and fragmented production.

It is necessary to promote digital transformation, industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas. Build a database to develop artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector; at the same time, promote innovation, digital transformation, mechanization and application of science and technology, high technology, intelligence and automation in agricultural production.

The Prime Minister requested that in the first quarter of 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other agencies must submit to the Government two projects on responding to climate change, subsidence, and landslides in the Mekong Delta and responding to landslides in the northern mountainous region.

The Head of Government believes that with the new momentum, spirit and foundation in recent years, the agricultural sector will successfully implement the three strategic breakthroughs in institutions, infrastructure and human resources. From there, it will achieve and surpass the set goals, contributing to the country entering a new era, an era of national growth, prosperity, civilization and prosperity.

According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, 2025 opens a new chapter for Vietnam's agricultural sector, with many great opportunities and a series of challenges. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development chose the theme for 2025 as "Flexible adaptation - Unleashing resources - Accelerating breakthroughs", as suggested by the Prime Minister, not only as a message of action, but also as a strong determination of the entire sector.

The Minister affirmed: Green and sustainable values ​​are no longer a trend. Reducing emissions, optimizing production processes, limiting negative impacts on the environment... are no longer slogans or recommendations for the future, but are present in all activities of daily life.

"Consumers are not only interested in quality and price, but also pay attention to the overall production process, how agricultural products are created, the process of transporting agricultural products, from fields, ponds... to the dining table, ensuring safety standards, environmental friendliness, and the emotional story, the uniqueness of the farmers themselves, of the rural villages", Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized.

In 2024, the GDP growth rate of the entire agricultural sector will reach about 3.3%, higher than the Government's target of 3-3.2%. The total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products will reach 62.5 billion USD. The agricultural sector's trade surplus will reach 17.9 billion USD, accounting for about 72% of the economy's trade surplus.
Overcoming the shock, Vietnam's strengths yield bumper crops, series of billion-dollar records Looking back at 2024, the agricultural sector has made efforts to overcome market fluctuations and "natural disaster shocks". Thanks to that, agricultural exports achieved a new record bumper crop.