Minister Le Minh Hoan: “We must change our mind on agricultural production”

The largest production doesn’t mean the highest growth rate

On November 29, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) held the Workshop “General Consultation on Agricultural Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050.”

According to Le Minh Hoan, Minister of the MARD, Vietnam’s agricultural industry currently has two big problems.

Firstly, the development of the industry is still based on separate sectors such as livestock, aquaculture and crop cultivation, while the new approach aims for the integration and multi-value resonance from all sectors.

Secondly, the agricultural industry still requires a lot of land and high input costs instead of applying technologies like circular agriculture solutions or organic farming.

 “The Agricultural Development Strategy for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050 aims to highlight the problems the agricultural sector needs to solve. The old approach that we must rank first or secondaims to n the world in terms of production is now out of date. We must change our mind,” Minister Le Minh Hoan said.

According to Minister Le Minh Hoan to reach a goal of sustainable development the agricultural industry must think beyond production. In terms of economics, the largest production doesn’t mean the highest growth rate.

“In recent years, GDP from agriculture has increased. However added value has been reduced due to higher input costs. As a result, farmers’ direct income is not as good as expected,” the Minister said.

According to the commander of the agricultural sector, the income or added value of the farm producers must be in line with the development of the sector. It’s the added value that needs to be paid attention to instead of agricultural production.

Today, consumers have completely changed their way of choosing products. They no longer buy agricultural products based on prices but are paying more attention to other factors such as the safety of the products, their nutrient value, and products with environmental benefits.

 “The strategy must aim at comprehensive development. It’s not only the growth rate of the agriculture industry but also the job creation. According to that strategy, every farmer must benefit from the development of the agricultural industry,’ Minister Le Minh Hoan emphasized.

Towards ecological agriculture

Vietnam’s agriculture has gained many important achievements over the past years, establishing its role in the country’s economic development and social stability especially in challenging times for the economy. The export of agricultural products has constantly increased making Vietnam one of the top agricultural producers in the world.  However there are many existing problems in the industry. The development of the agricultural sector is unsustainable mainly based on the use of natural resources and depending much on foreign markets.

At present, the income of rural residents remains low. The gap between the city and the countryside remains wide. The rural communities are facing a wide range of problems such as environment pollution as well as cultural and social issues. Many localities even those with the advantages of agricultural development have rushed towards industrial expansion and ignored agriculture.

To solve the existing problems in agriculture and rural development, the MARD is developing this strategy on agricultural development for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050. According to this strategy the agricultural sector will continue to accelerate the restructuring of agriculture, setting a target of maintaining the growth rate by improving production efficiency, adding value to products and expanding markets.

The goal of the strategy is to develop a commodity-based agriculture and adopt advanced technologies to achieve high yields, adaption to climate change and comprehensive development of rural areas affected by the process of urbanization.

The strategy also aims at improving the income and living standard of rural residents, ensuring food security, sustainably reducing poverty, and strengthening rural communities. Other aims include preserving and promoting the national cultural identity, building safe, clean and beautiful rural areas with infrastructure systems and services close to those in the urban areas. The overall strategy is designed towards developing ecological agriculture, wealthy farmers, and civilized, modern rural areas.