Vinh Long looks for new drivers to boost agricultural exports

On July 31, Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee and Finance and Economics Magazine (Ministry of Finance) organized the conference “Vinh Long - Financial Policies Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Exports.”

Mr. Pham Thu Phong, Editor-in-Chief of the Finance and Economics Magazine, said that Vietnamese agriculture is entering a new phase of development, shifting from a focus on output growth toward improving quality, added value, and sustainability.

According to data presented at the conference, in the first six months of 2026, Vietnam's agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports were estimated at USD 35.88 billion, up 6% year on year. Of this, agricultural exports reached USD 18.59 billion, seafood exports approximately USD 5.7 billion, and forestry exports USD 9.2 billion. The sector recorded a trade surplus of around USD 9.2 billion.

These results reaffirm the important role of agriculture in the national economy. However, import markets are increasingly tightening requirements on product quality, food safety, traceability, emissions reduction, and environmental responsibility.

Growth shows positive signs but remains below expectations

Mr. Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of the Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee, said that amid significant fluctuations in the domestic and global economies, the achievements recorded in the first six months of the year reflected the great efforts of the entire political system, local people, and the business community.

The province's economic growth rate reached 6.41%. Although growth has shown positive improvements, the result remains below the province's overall development expectations.

To achieve socio-economic development targets for the 2026-2027 period and turn Vinh Long into a relatively developed province in the Mekong Delta, the province has identified removing difficulties and unlocking the potential of the business community as key priorities.

Vinh Long currently has around 13,000 operating enterprises, including more than 450 enterprises engaged in agricultural product trading, processing, and exports. These businesses play an important role in driving the agricultural economy, which has been identified as one of the province's key pillars.

However, most agricultural enterprises in Vinh Long are small and medium-sized, with limited financial capacity and competitiveness. Given the constraints on public investment resources, removing bottlenecks related to financing, infrastructure, and institutional frameworks is of critical importance.

According to Nguyen Truc Son, the province has strengthened coordination with central ministries and agencies to mobilize resources for development.

The Ministry of Finance has supported the province through the allocation of central government funding, the formulation of fiscal and tax policies, and budget assistance. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has implemented industrial promotion and trade promotion programs to help bring Vinh Long's key products including coconuts, seafood, fruits, and other agricultural commodities to international markets.

Data presented at the conference showed that Vinh Long ranked third in export value among Mekong Delta provinces and 19th nationwide in the first six months of 2026.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has also worked closely with the province to implement major national initiatives, including the One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Development Project, helping enhance the value of key agricultural value chains.

Mr. Nguyen Truc Son said the conference provided an opportunity to hear firsthand feedback from businesses and producers, identify bottlenecks related to finance, taxation, credit, and investment, and gather recommendations that will inform the review, revision, and improvement of relevant policies.

Green credit and logistics infrastructure needed

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan, Director of the Vinh Long Department of Industry and Trade, said the province is restructuring its agricultural sector to generate higher added value, promote a green economy, and develop concentrated raw material production areas linked to processing and exports.

Vinh Long has established multiple production zones for high-quality rice, specialty fruits, organic coconuts, and aquaculture products. The province has also expanded production–marketing value chains while promoting the adoption of VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic standards, and product traceability systems.

More than 8,224 hectares in the province have been enrolled in the One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Development Project, exceeding the planned target and laying the foundation for deeper integration into sustainable agricultural supply chains.

However, logistics, cold storage, inspection, and post-harvest preservation costs remain high. Businesses are required to make substantial investments to comply with increasingly stringent requirements on green production, emissions reduction, the circular economy, and product traceability, yet appropriate support mechanisms remain limited.

Vinh Long Province has called for the early issuance of a decree to replace Decree No. 57/2018/ND-CP on encouraging business investment in agriculture and rural areas. The province proposed simplifying administrative procedures, increasing financial support, and ensuring a stable allocation of central government funding.

The province also recommended establishing a green credit mechanism offering preferential interest rates for businesses and cooperatives investing in organic production, circular economy models, emissions reduction, deep processing, and internationally certified raw material production areas.

Financial policies should prioritize mobilizing resources to develop cold storage facilities, bonded warehouses, inspection centers, packaging facilities, and logistics infrastructure. In addition, preferential policies on taxation, asset depreciation, technological innovation, and digital transformation are needed to support agricultural processing enterprises.

As part of the conference, two panel discussions focused on identifying bottlenecks hindering agricultural exports and proposing financial policy solutions to promote sustainable export growth.