Sustaining values across generations

At every period, our Party and State have always paid great attention to agriculture; in many historical phases, the “three rural areas” (agriculture, rural areas, farmers) have been a frontline for breakthroughs that help the country advance.

Agriculture is a vast economic sector, and over the past 80 years, its management organizations have undergone many changes. Today’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment continues the legacy of multiple previous ministerial-level bodies. Many generations of officials and leaders, once holding different positions across these organizations, now share a common home.

Despite this diversity, one can still perceive the enduring values that define the distinctive style of those “working in agriculture.”

Dedication, unity, simplicity, and approachability

Within the agricultural sector, there have always been countless individuals deeply dedicated and passionate about their work, from grassroots staff to ministry leaders. This passion is driven not only by love for the profession and a sense of responsibility but also by witnessing, accompanying, and sharing in the hardships, struggles, and joys of hardworking farmers.

Everyone knows that the efforts of individuals and teams can help ease difficulties and bring progress to the sector. Even when these advancements are small, continuous efforts across multiple areas have contributed to significant transformations. The passion, dedication, and responsibility of generations of leaders, such as the late Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan, inspired many to join him in seeking new crop varieties and innovative ideas, helping the sector rise above countless challenges and fostering a deeper love for the field and the homeland’s farmlands.

Those working in agriculture take joy in meeting colleagues wherever they go, sharing their concerns, successes, and failures. Conversations often revolve around rice plants, sweet potatoes, shrimp, or fish, but with great enthusiasm and passion, as all are ultimately focused on one goal: improving the lives of farmers.

It is also easy to recognize one another, because “people of agriculture” often display simplicity, approachability, and a strong connection to farmers. In the agricultural sector, from technicians to ministers, everyone wades into the fields to discuss, exchange ideas, and share experiences with local farmers during “field workshops,” working side by side with them both in production and in responding to natural disasters.

In the 1970s and 1980s, farmers, especially in what was then Thai Binh province, often encountered the late Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Nguyen Ngoc Triu, passionately working in the fields. Today’s generation will also remember the late Minister Le Huy Ngo, with his trousers rolled up, wearing a raincoat and pith helmet, leading local officials and farmers in confronting storms and floods.

Everyone knows that farmers are the ones who have created the great achievements of Vietnam’s agricultural sector. Agricultural officials have always listened to farmers, learned from their experience and innovations, thereby identifying problems and finding practical solutions. These solutions, born from real-life practice, have always been robust and quickly adopted by farmers. Most of the successful strategic ideas for agricultural development in Vietnam originated directly from the field.

Spirit of innovation and creativity

Over the past 80 years, agriculture has consistently been at the forefront of implementing the Party and State's reform and innovation policies.

From the land reform movement and the free allocation of land to millions of farmers, the practical realization of the slogan “Land to the tiller” is rare. This fundamentally transformed the foundation of agricultural development. Farmers became owners of their land, enjoying nearly all the benefits of their labor rather than having to pay a portion to landlords, as under the old system—a practice still common in many countries today. More importantly, this change fundamentally improved the lives of millions of tenant farmers.

The renovation, launched by the Party in 1986, also began with agriculture. The “Khoan 10” system became a symbol of the spirit of innovation - a spirit that has remained deeply ingrained in Viet Nam’s agricultural sector ever since.

Implementing the Party’s renewal policies, combined with the efforts, dynamism, and creativity of farmers, has been the journey leading to Viet Nam’s agricultural achievements over the past four decades.

Resolution 10, along with other important Party resolutions in the “three rural areas” sector, such as Resolution 26-NQ/TW in 2008 and Resolution 19 of the 13th National Congress, has served both as a foundation and a driving force. These policies helped the country move from a food shortage and the need to import 1-2 million tons of rice annually to becoming a leading global exporter of rice and agricultural products.

Agricultural development indicators clearly reflect innovative thinking and renewal. Agricultural growth has been sustained, averaging 3.5% in this term. By 2025, agricultural exports are expected to exceed 65 billion USD, and for quite some time, Viet Nam has already become one of the world’s leading agricultural export nations.

Another notable achievement is in the irrigation sector, with a system that can serve 95% of the country’s rice-growing area. This has become a crucial foundation for stable agricultural production, ensuring good harvests even in times of floods or droughts, and allowing farmers to produce reliably. Viet Nam’s irrigation system can be considered a major agricultural achievement and a national heritage.

The spirit of innovation and creativity is also evident in the way the Party and State have directed agricultural development, focusing on the country’s and each region’s comparative advantages.

Looking back over the past 80 years, we can see that in the early stages, agriculture concentrated on crops such as coffee, rubber, and pepper in the Southeast and Central Highlands, tea in the northern mountainous regions, and cashew in the Southeast. Thanks to innovation and creativity, the area and output of these crops increased rapidly, playing a key role in accelerating overall sector growth. For example, coffee production, which was only a few tens of thousands of tons in the 1980s, has now made Viet Nam the world’s second-largest coffee producer and exporter. Similarly, rubber, pepper, and cashew have also developed significantly and achieved remarkable results.

In the next phase, efforts focused on improving fruit crops, livestock, and aquaculture. I recall that, during the development of the aquaculture strategy, the agricultural sector identified the comparative advantages of key species, such as pangasius, shrimp, and mollusks. From there, attention was given to advancing science and technology, policy mechanisms, and infrastructure. Today, Viet Nam’s aquaculture has reached far and wide, with total production exceeding 9 million tons, making a significant contribution to the sector’s growth and earning high recognition from the international community.

This journey began by leveraging initial advantages in natural conditions, land, climate, and water resources. Over time, through innovation and creativity, the sector has developed science and technology, infrastructure, and human resources, gradually maximizing agricultural advantages to an even greater extent.

Continuity

In many countries, agricultural leadership and policies often change whenever a new political party comes to power, sometimes even contradicting previous directions. Over the past 80 years, under the Party's leadership, Viet Nam has consistently implemented policies, strategies, and development orientations for agriculture that meet the requirements of each stage. As a result, the sector’s activities have always followed long-term directions while also addressing situational issues as they arise.

The late Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan persistently and decisively directed the development and implementation of renewal policies, particularly those related to land, the reform of cooperatives and state farms, the removal of subsidies, and the promotion of free trade in agricultural products and inputs.

The late Minister Le Huy Ngo also proposed and vigorously implemented breeding programs, strengthened research capacity, and promoted the transfer of science and technology, leaving a strong and lasting impact on the sector’s development up to the present day.

The strategies, directions, and policies of the agricultural pioneers, along with the country’s valuable traditional values, have been inherited and continued. My generation, as well as Ministers Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Le Minh Hoan, and others, have all become “agriculture practitioners” and contributed, to varying degrees, to the cause of agriculture, farmers, and rural development.

For many consecutive years, Viet Nam has mobilized resources to invest in irrigation development as the foundation for a high-yield, high-quality, and resilient agricultural sector. The role of irrigation will become increasingly important in responding to climate change. The irrigation system is a precious national heritage that needs to be protected and further improved for the future.

Through decades of continuous efforts, Viet Nam has halted the decline and restored forest coverage and stocks, contrary to global trends. Forests have become ecological shields and crucial factors ensuring the sustainable development of both agriculture and the nation.

Through nearly 20 years of continuous efforts, piloting, and refining approaches, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has fundamentally transformed the landscape of most rural areas. Alongside this, the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction has achieved significant successes and is highly regarded by the international community.

It can be said that Viet Nam’s agricultural sector's achievements over the past 80 years have been substantial and a source of pride. Most importantly, agriculture has ensured a stable supply of food for over 100 million Vietnamese people, offering a wide variety of products with increasingly high quality at prices lower than in many other countries. The income and living standards of the majority of rural residents have improved significantly. Today, farmers have become true owners of their livelihoods. Vietnamese agriculture has evolved into a commercial production sector that is increasingly integrated into global markets, with growing competitiveness and many products holding strong positions internationally.

Entering a new phase, for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers to make a worthy contribution in the country’s era of rising strength, the sector’s valuable traditional values need to be preserved and further promoted.

With unity, solidarity, close ties with farmers, and persistent, continuous innovation under the Party’s leadership, I believe that Viet Nam’s agriculture and rural areas will achieve even greater successes, further enhancing the value and confidence in ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, and cultured farmers.

On the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of Agriculture and Environment Day and the 1st National Emulation Congress, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is organizing a series of events from July to December 2025.