The greatness behind the numbers

The frontline role

Looking back on 80 years since the nation’s founding and nearly 40 years since Doi Moi (Renovation), agriculture, farmers, and rural development have consistently been identified by the Party as the frontline force to create breakthroughs, overcome hardship, and keep the country advancing. This is evident in landmark policies such as Resolution 10 of 1988, the foundation of Renovation; Resolution 26 of 2008; and Resolution 19 of the current 13th Party Congress.

How should this reality be understood?

“First of all,” Dr. Phat said, “agriculture, farmers, and rural areas have always had a special place in the Party’s revolutionary mission and in the socio-economic development of the nation. Farmers, in particular, have been the largest social group, making the greatest contributions in the struggle for independence and in building and defending the nation. For this reason, in every period of history, the Party and the State have paid special attention and set ambitious goals for agriculture, farmers, and rural development, identifying them as the frontline".

The clearest example was the start of Renovation in 1986, which began in agriculture. Resolution 10 of the Politburo in 1988 on reforming agricultural economic management set out bold guidelines and solutions. Many of its values remain intact today. “Whenever the nation needs a fundamental shift, we still often hear the call: ‘We need a Resolution 10’”, he noted.

Resolution 10 laid the foundation for comprehensive Renovation, helping Vietnam move from food shortages, importing 1–2 million tons of grain annually, to the status of a leading global rice exporter.

Today, nearly eight million households grow rice. While not all expectations have been met, paddy fields remain a vital source of income and demonstrate Vietnam’s comparative advantage. In 2024, rice exports reached more than nine million tons, worth over USD 5.8 billion. The country’s annual rice output, exceeding 43.5 million tons for the past two to three years, is higher than the combined total output of the entire African continent. “I have visited countries with land areas much larger than ours, with geography and natural conditions similar to the Mekong Delta”, Dr. Phat said, “yet they manage only one or two million tons of rice annually. When they see our achievements, they are deeply impressed”.

Equally important is irrigation infrastructure, the nation’s legacy, serving 95% of rice acreage and many other key commodities. Irrigation has provided the foundation for stable agricultural production. Even in floods or droughts, harvests are possible, enabling farmers to produce steadily. Irrigation has made agriculture not only the economy’s safety net but also a national advantage.

Foundations and advantages

If Resolution 10 opened the way for Renovation, then was Resolution 26 of 2008 was a revolution that reaffirmed the foundational and strategic role of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, Sir? 

Resolution 26 introduced a broad set of solutions: the agricultural restructuring plan to enhance value-added and sustainable growth; the National Target Program on New Rural Development; policies on poverty reduction and social equity; and strategies for adapting to climate change. “Of course, there were many other important policies,” Dr. Phat said, “but these four stand out as the most notable directions for agriculture, farmers, and rural development since Resolution 26”.

The first was agricultural restructuring. Vietnam shifted from extensive growth focused on output to intensive growth focused on quality, economic efficiency, higher farmer incomes, and sustainability. Over the past 15 years, the results have been clear. By focusing on commodities with comparative advantages, applying science and technology, and reorganizing production, agricultural growth has been sustained, averaging 3.5% in the current term. In 2025, agricultural exports are projected to exceed USD 65 billion, putting Vietnam among the world’s top agricultural exporters.

Food security has been firmly secured, providing the most critical foundation for social stability, especially during difficult times such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Vietnam has been able to mobilize land and labor resources for commodity agriculture, industry, and services, creating jobs and income. Agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports have risen steadily, delivering values unmatched by other sectors, with a much larger share of benefits going directly to farmers.

At the same time, agricultural development has emphasized environmental protection and climate adaptation. Forest protection and restoration were at the core. In earlier decades, forest cover had dropped to 27% and forest stockpiles were steadily declining. Today, forest cover has been restored to over 42%, with increasing plantation areas available for harvesting and processing, helping Vietnam become one of the world’s top wood exporters. Beyond economic value, improved forest quantity and quality have absorbed carbon, reduced emissions, and provided a critical foundation for sustainable development.

The second achievement was the New Rural Development Program. The Party recognized that as the economy advanced, improving rural living standards meant more than food and clothing. It required better living conditions, narrowing the rural-urban gap, and balanced national development so that all social groups could benefit.

The program was not a top-down state-funded scheme but a movement: the State provided support, while the people carried it out. Hundreds of thousands of kilometers of rural roads were built, mostly without land clearance costs. Farmers voluntarily donated land, relocated homes, removed long-standing trees, and some even gave assets worth billions of dong. Communities, businesses, and society contributed heavily. Over 15 years, the State invested 290 trillion dong, while people contributed an estimated 3.2 quadrillion dong. This alignment of Party policy and public will created today’s modern rural landscape.

The third achievement was poverty reduction. Agriculture provided the foundation for sustainable poverty alleviation. Vietnam’s record in poverty reduction has been highly praised at home and abroad. In 2024, the multidimensional rural poverty rate dropped to about 3.1%, described internationally as “virtually unprecedented” and “a revolution”. Income disparities between rural and urban areas continue to narrow.

The fourth was the National Target Program on climate change adaptation. Vietnam identified the challenge early and took action on two fronts: adapting to climate change and mitigating natural disaster risks. These measures continue to be implemented comprehensively.

In sum, Resolution 26, with its sound policies and strong implementation, brought sweeping changes to agriculture, rural development, and the environment, contributing significantly to rapid and effective national development. This underscored the Party and State’s unwavering commitment to agriculture, farmers, and rural areas.

Recognizing a new era

As Vietnam enters a new era where agriculture is an advantage and the environment a pillar of sustainable development, opportunities will be accompanied by challenges. Does the country need another “Resolution 10”?

“In this new era,” Dr. Phat explained, “agriculture affects all three pillars of sustainable development”.

He expressed concern about agriculture’s declining relative attractiveness. As in many countries, industrialization and urbanization create more jobs and higher incomes outside of farming. Workers, especially young people, inevitably move away from agriculture.

Vietnam still has more than 10 million agricultural workers, far more than Japan’s 2.5 million or the United States’ just over 3 million. The coming shift will be massive. “The key is ensuring agriculture does not decline,” he said. “Labor will move, but if farmland is neglected, growth momentum will be lost”.

From the lessons of Resolutions 10 and 26, he stressed that the most vital issue is motivation, ensuring farmers, businesses, and cooperatives stay committed to agriculture and achieve better lives from it.

What about solutions in details, Sir? 

In this new era, the Party has defined its strategy as ecological agriculture, modernized rural areas, and a more educated and empowered farming community. These remain strategic national priorities.

Implementation, Dr. Phat argued, requires society to internalize the role of agriculture, translating concern into action, creating resources, mechanisms, and policies to encourage farmers and businesses to invest.

Policy reform must continue, removing barriers. The success of the Renovation era came from unleashing motivation, enabling all citizens and economic actors to work harder, invest more, and use resources more effectively to create wealth.

But today, the number one driver must be science and technology.

While policy remains crucial, science and technology will be the decisive factor. Vietnam’s strategy calls for efficiency and higher value-added production that is environmentally friendly and socially beneficial. These goals depend most on technology.

In earlier decades, Vietnam mostly relied on foreign science and technology. Now the nation must build domestic capacity. Progress will come when Vietnamese scientists create varieties designed for Vietnamese soils. Proof already exists: Vietnam produces some of the world’s best rice, as well as globally leading coffee, pepper, and pangasius.

Vietnamese scientists are highly capable, but they need supportive environments, investment, and effective linkages between public research institutions and private businesses. Support should extend beyond plant breeding to cover processing, technical systems, and value chains.

In the digital age, artificial intelligence and new technologies are opening vast opportunities. Vietnam must quickly adopt, master, and spread these tools to boost productivity and quality.

“With synchronized solutions, especially heavy investment in science and technology, I believe Vietnamese agriculture will once again become highly attractive and reinforce the nation’s advantages”, Dr. Phat concluded.

Thank you, Sir!