Agriculture needs to advance toward a leading role in the economy

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized this mindset while chairing the meeting on September 24 to hear reports and provide feedback on the draft report evaluating three years of implementing Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW (13th tenure) dated June 16, 2022, on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, covering the period up to 2030 with a vision toward 2045.

The meeting was attended by leaders and representatives from several Party and National Assembly agencies, central ministries and sectors, the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, associations, experts, and scientists, with online connections to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities nationwide.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested that the evaluation of the three-year implementation of Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW closely address the extent to which previously identified shortcomings and limitations have been overcome. At the same time, it should review and assess the targets and implementation arrangements, especially matters related to institutions, policies, financial markets, resource mobilization, state and social investment, and update emerging issues.

Shifting from production to a multi-value economy

According to the draft report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, after three years of implementing Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW, all 14 targets are on track to meet the 2030 objectives.

Among them, two targets have been exceeded (sectoral GDP growth rate and forest coverage); eight targets are likely to be achieved or exceeded (agricultural labor productivity growth, new rural development targets, the proportion of agricultural labor in total employment, forest coverage, the proportion of rural households with access to clean water meeting standards, state budget investment in agriculture and rural areas); four targets require further effort and breakthrough, effective solutions to reach the 2030 goals (rural household income, vocational training for rural labor, collection and treatment of rural solid waste according to regulations, and rural industrial and service growth rates).

The system of legal documents on agriculture and the environment has closely followed and fundamentally institutionalized the Party’s guidelines, continuously improving and updating; establishing a unified and synchronous legal framework that both addresses “bottlenecks” and unlocks resources for development, while enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state management.

Agriculture has been restructured to be more substantive and efficient, showing positive changes according to regional strengths and market demands, while proactively adapting to climate change. The entire sector has shifted its mindset from production to an agricultural economy, from single-sector development to cooperative, multi-sector, and multi-value integrated development, moving from agricultural supply chains to the development of complete industry chains.

Rural industry and services have developed strongly, contributing to economic restructuring, creating jobs, promoting synchronized mechanization across production stages and supply chains, and advancing agricultural processing industries.

A successful breakthrough has been the formation of agricultural production organizations, with cooperatives playing a central role. Production and business chain linkages have been innovated to suit the market and large-scale commodity production, leading to the establishment of many certified safe agricultural product chains.

The business sector has grown significantly, with over 18,700 enterprises directly investing in agricultural production. Many large companies and corporations have affirmed their central role in the value chain, serving as key drivers for agricultural development.

During the 2021-2025 period, the application of science and technology in production and management contributed to an approximately 30% increase in economic efficiency. Digital transformation has been applied across all areas, from management to production and consumption.

The total export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products has continuously reached record levels, with 11 products exceeding USD 1 billion in export value, including seven products surpassing USD 3 billion.

The rural landscape is increasingly transforming, narrowing the gap with urban areas, improving people's overall living standards, and gradually modernizing essential rural infrastructure.

Rural tourism has shown positive development. It is linked with cultural identity and the "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program, which helps raise community awareness about preserving landscapes, the environment, and cultural heritage.

A professional rural farming workforce has emerged. Many skilled farmers have become leading figures, driving progress, achieving prosperity, adopting technology, and gradually improving labor productivity in rural areas.

Natural resources are being strictly managed, enhancing their efficiency, ensuring fairness and sustainability, and meeting socio-economic development needs. Disaster prevention and control have shifted strongly toward proactive measures and climate change adaptation.

Barriers and bottlenecks

Comments at the meeting also highlighted several unresolved issues and limitations in the “three rural” sector. These include: unstable agricultural growth; low quality and limited competitiveness of certain products; insufficient innovation, digital economy development, and application of science and technology, especially high-tech; and inadequate infrastructure for agricultural development.

Some 2030 targets in Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW are no longer suitable for the current context and need adjustment to contribute to “double-digit” growth and to implement the two-tier local government model.

Rural environmental pollution has shown little improvement, and in some areas it is worsening, such as water pollution from wastewater and domestic waste, effluent from craft villages, air pollution, and noise pollution.

The above-mentioned limitations and weaknesses have both objective and subjective causes, with subjective factors being predominant. Awareness of the position and role of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas is still insufficient and sometimes inadequate. This leads to a lack of initiative and insufficiently thorough and decisive leadership and direction in implementing Resolution 19.

Coordination among Party committees, authorities, ministries, sectors, and relevant agencies remains weak and ineffective; the state management apparatus and public service system have not kept pace with the requirements for agricultural and rural development.

Some mechanisms and policies lack implementation resources, are not practical enough, and have been slow to be amended or supplemented, particularly regarding land, investment, credit, insurance, and production organization.

Establishing an agriculture - technology - finance ecosystem

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat stated that the new context demands much higher socio-economic development. Agriculture and the rural economy need to achieve an annual growth rate of around 10% to help the country make a breakthrough toward becoming a developed nation.

At the same time, agricultural resources are increasingly limited: agricultural land is declining rapidly, and rural labor is shrinking and aging. Therefore, the only path forward is to rely on science and technology and restructure toward higher-value and more efficient products and commodity chains.

Emphasizing the crucial role of agriculture, Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Vien, Chairman of the Science Council (Vietnam National University of Agriculture), said agriculture should be viewed as a high-tech industry, integrating the most advanced achievements in artificial intelligence (AI), digitalization, and processing. The State should prioritize investment policies for processing, digitalization, and developing raw material regions linked to urban “cores” to establish an agriculture - technology - finance ecosystem.

Another important aspect is human resource training, especially for farmers, focusing on practical skills, digital technology, and market orientation. This will thereby create a generation of "Farmers 4.0" who master production. The private sector must serve as the driving force for agricultural innovation.

Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Vien proposed establishing a national program on land restoration linked to green production and carbon credits, as well as developing an “agricultural diplomacy” strategy to address global competition and food crises.

Leaders of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance emphasized that farmers and cooperatives must be placed at the center of agricultural and rural development. Policies are needed to attract young workers, intellectuals, and students to build careers in rural areas. Alongside economic growth, social development policies should be formulated in the context of industrialization and urbanization, which profoundly transform rural areas into multi-layered societies that are no longer predominantly farmer-based.

Contributing opinions at the meeting, leaders of the provinces of Hung Yen, Ha Tinh, Lam Dong, and An Giang proposed several key solutions for the agricultural sector: stabilizing the prices of inputs and raw materials for production; supporting the expansion of agricultural product markets; and revising and supplementing mechanisms to encourage investment in agriculture and rural areas, especially high-tech agriculture and sectors linked with the marine economy.

The provinces also recommended more flexible credit policies and preferential interest rates to facilitate farmers’ and cooperatives’ access to capital; strengthening human resource training and the transfer of scientific and technological advances; and issuing mechanisms to attract and incentivize agricultural officers to work at the grassroots level.

At the same time, they emphasized the need for the central government to prioritize resources for new rural development and sustainable poverty reduction. They will soon promulgate specific criteria and adjust management approaches in line with the two-tier local government model.

Leaders and representatives of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Health, Ethnic and Religious Affairs, and Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed various solutions to increase farmers’ incomes, improve living standards and social welfare, and reduce the development gap between rural and urban areas. They emphasized strengthening the grassroots healthcare network and considering primary healthcare at the commune level a key task; adding responsibilities for preserving and promoting cultural identity, developing community-based tourism, and enhancing the spiritual life of rural residents; as well as improving credit, land, science and technology, and human resource training policies, particularly in high-tech agriculture and fisheries.

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized that to create room for breakthroughs in the agricultural economy, deeper analyses of the potential in forestry and marine economies, national products, and region-specific products are necessary. This would enhance added value and leverage comparative advantages.

Addressing bottlenecks in science and technology, promoting production linkages, and strengthening the leading role of domestic enterprises, particularly in processing and brand development, are key requirements.

Important tasks for rural areas include reviewing and updating planning, expediting the completion of national target programs, ensuring appropriate budget allocations, and granting greater autonomy to localities.

In addition, there should be a strong focus on training rural workers to meet the demands of industry, services, tourism, and labor export, thereby building a highly skilled workforce.

Identifying breakthroughs and innovations

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to fully incorporate the opinions raised and urgently finalize the report with a high-quality standard, ensuring that it identifies breakthrough and innovative issues.

The report needs to focus on assessing the results of implementing the resolution; the extent of institutionalization through laws, resolutions, and decrees; the level of achievement across indicator groups and tasks; existing shortcomings and limitations; and orientations for the next two years amid significant domestic and international fluctuations. In particular, the report must analyze and clarify the substance and quality of institutions, their alignment with the new development phase, and clearly define responsibilities in implementation.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment should build on the results of reviewing the three national target programs (new rural development, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas). At the same time, the report should reflect a new mindset about agriculture – “not only as a backbone of the economy but with many sectors reaching global markets and demonstrating a pioneering role in the economy.” In addition, the report must provide an in-depth analysis of social transformations in rural areas, including the impacts of urbanization, labor restructuring, social order and safety, as well as ethics and cultural values.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the orientation for agricultural development in the coming period must be multi-objective and multi-value, encompassing industry, services, tourism, medicinal materials, the carbon economy, the green economy, deep processing, and value chain development. Rural areas must be comprehensively planned in close connection with urban areas while preserving cultural identity. Policies should prioritize remote and disadvantaged regions, linking economic development with poverty reduction, environmental protection, clean water supply, cultural facilities, and human resource training.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister called for clarifying solutions to strengthen linkages among collective economies, cooperatives, enterprises, and farmers, categorizing policy groups based on each region's specific characteristics, and investing in transport infrastructure, irrigation, and natural disaster prevention.