There should be 'anti-IUU exploitation' solutions for both the sea and the forest

Comprehensive outcome

Director of the Department of Planning Nguyen Van Viet reported at the MARD's regular Press Conference that the industry as a whole has achieved excellent and comprehensive results in all sectors during the first half of 2023.

The estimated growth rate of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries (AFF) production value in the first six months is 3.1%, with agriculture increasing by 3.14%, forestry by 3.43%, and fisheries by 2.96%. Agriculture grew by 3.14 %, forestry by 3.43%, and fisheries by 2.77% during the first six months of AFF's GDP growth at 3.07 percent.

The entire nation planted 4.98 million hectares of rice; the average yield reached 6,700 kg per hectare, an increase of 180 kg per hectare; and total output reached 22.8 million tons after harvest. The area of fruit plantations increased by 2.7% to 1.22 million hectares. Industrial crops expanded by 0.3% to 2.2 million hectares. As for output, pepper production increased by 1.7% to 250,100 tons; cashew kernels by 9.7% to 353,200 tons; rubber by 2.3% to 413,500 tons; and tea stems by 1.7% to 523,200 tons.

The livestock and poultry industries have grown steadily. Estimates indicate a 1.7% decline in the buffalo population, while slaughter production reached 61.2 thousand tons, a 0.9% decrease. It is anticipated that the cow population increased by 0.9%; meat production increased by 2.6% to 245.3 thousand tons; and milk production climbed by 8.0% to 662.8 thousand tons. It is anticipated that the pig population went up by 2.5%, poultry production increased by 0.9%, and egg production increased by 4.2%.

The newly planted forest area is 124,000 hectares, an increase of 4.1%; 45.9 million trees are scatteredly planted, an increase of 5.0%. Protection and prevention of forest fires are of special concern, as 4,456 violations were detected across the country, a decline of 5%. The affected forest covered 1,215.9 hectares. The total revenue from forest environmental services is approximately VND 1,393.8 billion, which is equivalent to 93% of the same period in 2022; the forest area with a forest sustainable certificate (FSC) is currently 433,942 hectares.

The total production of seafood reached 4.27 million tons, an increase of 1.7% over the same period in 2022. In terms of exports, the total AFF export turnover for the first half of the year totaled 24.59 billion USD, an 11.1% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.

The export value of seven products and product categories, including coffee, rubber, rice, vegetables, cashew nuts, crustaceans, and wood products, exceeds 1 billion USD.

China, the United States, and Japan remain the three largest export markets for Vietnam's AFF products; export value to China accounted for 21.4%, an increase of 7.7%; exports to the United States accounted for 20.2%, a decrease of 32.9%; and exports to Japan accounted for 7.7%, a decrease of 5.7%.

Based on this result, Viet proposed five main groups of solutions for the agricultural sector in the last six months of the year, including strengthening measures to care for plants and animals; identifying solutions for disease control; disaster reduction prior to the rainy season; increasing public investment capital disbursement; and enhancing communication and press activities.

Making efforts to achieve Government-set goals

In the first half of the year, the export values of vegetables and rice reached 2.75 billion and 2.3 billion USD, respectively.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien believed that the value of the vegetable industry will reach 10 billion USD with the current potential and untapped space, given the country's strength in exporting fresh produce with less deep processing.

Regarding rice, the Deputy Minister determined that although it is the commodity most affected by the urbanization process, the cultivated area continues to decrease while the product's productivity, quality, and export value are maintained. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development acknowledged that the rice industry assures food security not only for the nation but also for the region and the globe.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien advised businesses to pay special attention to the matter of "health" of the G7, the grouping of developed nations, as orders for industries with high export value, such as wood and fisheries, have decreased.

He instructed departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to focus on the production sector and accelerate capital flows for the second half of the year 2023. Particularly for the Department of Forestry, the Deputy Minister requested that the Department of Forestry manage the tax refund for timber industry businesses in its entirety.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien concluded the press conference by directing Departments such as Plant Protection, Animal Health, Processing Quality, and Market Development to assist businesses, reduce customs clearance time, and provide prompt guidance and demanding import market adjustments.

In addition to the European Union, he stated that Japan and the United States have also commented on Vietnam's exports. Recent EU legislation mandates that agricultural products can only be imported into the EU if the entire production process does not take place on previously removed forest land.

As the Deputy Minister viewed these new regulations as "fighting against IUU exploitation in the forest," he reaffirmed the responsibility of closely monitoring the production process until the products are delivered. "Now we must not only combat IUU fishing at sea but also prevent it on land," he said.