Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien: Agricultural exports can exceed USD 60 billion

On the afternoon of October 25, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien chaired a meeting and discussed with a number of press agencies the key contents of the agricultural sector in the last months of 2024.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that in the first 9 months of 2024, the agricultural sector had many advantages but also faced many difficulties, the most difficult of which was storm No. 3.

Storm No. 3 and floods caused economic damage estimated at over VND 81,500 billion, of which damage in the agricultural sector alone was over VND 30,800 billion, accounting for 38%. Livestock production and fisheries are the two sectors that suffered the most damage after storm No. 3.

Faced with that situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has drastically directed units under the Ministry and localities to deploy the prevention and control work and restore production, especially in heavily damaged provinces.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that after storm No. 3, about 170,000 hectares of forest were destroyed. Seeds are currently being prepared so they can be planted early next year.

Regarding crop production, the Northern provinces lost about 300,000-400,000 tons. However, by the end of the first 9 months of 2024, the total output still reached 34.01 million tons, up 1.5% over the same period last year. October will be certainly affected, but if 300,000-400,000 tons are lost out of the total output of 43.3 million tons, it is still enough to ensure 40 million tons.

Regarding livestock production, by the end of September 2024, meat output has still reached 6.13 million tons, an increase of 4.8% over the same period last year.

As for the fisheries sector, total seafood output in the first 9 months of 2024 reached 7.02 million tons, of which both aquaculture and exploitation increased slightly. Seafood export turnover by the end of September 2024 has reached USD 7.23 billion. In September alone, the export turnover reached more than USD 900 million, so this year's seafood exports will likely reach the target of USD 10 billion as set out.

Recently, provinces and cities that suffered heavy damage after storm No. 3, such as Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, especially Van Don, were directly delivered supplies, breeds, and feed by the Department of Fisheries (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) to support production recovery.

Especially for exports, the Deputy Minister emphasized that when the storm occurs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has determined that the Northern mountainous provinces are basically self-sufficient, so exports are not greatly affected.

The export turnover of the entire agricultural sector in the first 9 months of 2024 has reached USD 46.28 billion, up 21% over the same period last year. The agricultural export turnover in September alone reached USD 5.85 billion. In particular, the sector's trade surplus reached USD 13.9 billion, accounting for 66.8% of the total surplus of the whole economy. With the current growth rate, the agricultural sector's exports in 2024 could reach USD 60–61 billion.

"We must be proud to be agricultural workers," Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien emphasized.

With just over 2 months left to reach the finish line, there are still many things to overcome. Thus, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that in the coming time, it is necessary to continue to encourage production recovery; promote good models of provinces not affected by storm No. 3, from the North Central region to the Mekong Delta; and try to fight smuggling to protect and promote growth. In the near future, we will accelerate the fight against smuggling of lobster seeds.

"If we want to maintain domestic production, we must try to fight smuggling and tighten imports to promote exports. In particular, we are now catching up with the Halal market to be able to step deeper into this 2.2 million-person market with great potential," said Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien.