VSTA to transform into modern seed alliance

Viet Nam's agriculture and seed sectors have undergone three distinct development stages, including the era of liberation (1945-1975), the era of renovation (1975-2025), and the ongoing era of prosperity (2025-2045). In this context, there is a pressing need for robust restructuring, particularly for the Viet Nam Seed Trade Association (VSTA) to adapt to and lead the next phase of development.

Major policies, such as the Resolution of the 14^th National Party Congress, along with resolutions on the development of science and technology and the private sector (Resolution 57, 68), have opened up vast growth space for the sector. Particularly, the reorganization of governance under a two-tier model across six ecozones, together with the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment with a management scale expanding to natural resources, environment, marine affairs, and geology, has created favorable conditions to promote multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary integration.

In parallel, the market is increasingly operating in line with the digital economy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce. With only five years remaining to complete the Program on Research and Production of Varieties serving agricultural restructuring toward 2030, the pressure for innovation in the seed sector is enormous.

After 18 years of establishment and development, VSTA needs to build a new "operating system," not only organizational reform but also an elevation in governance mindset. This direction includes investing in the development of modern, specialized seed production zones aligned with local identity under the OCOP orientation, while strengthening capacity to commercialize research outcomes.

Within the modern agricultural value chain, enterprises are identified as the central force, playing a bridging role alongside cooperatives and the agricultural extension system in rapidly bringing scientific research, technological advances, and R&D outputs to market as commercial products. This is the key to addressing four issues faced by farmers, including lack of brands, unstable quality, low income, and fragmented production.

Whereas agricultural production once relied on the formula "water - fertilizer - labor - seed," seeds are now regarded as the "chip" that activates the entire innovation ecosystem. This requires restructuring the seed sector around three pillars: enhancing economic value and environmental adaptability; improving operational efficiency with a focus on rapid breeding technologies; and advancing gene technology and artificial intelligence.

VSTA should not only aim to be a professional association but also strive to become a modern seed alliance in the era of Industry 4.0. This alliance must be capable of leading in research and development while expanding market space both domestically and internationally.

To realize this objective, enterprises need to proactively develop seed-development investment projects under public-private partnership (PPP) models, while diversifying management approaches tailored to the characteristics of each ecozone. At the same time, training a new generation of human resources is a decisive factor, particularly in key fields such as gene technology, artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and modern corporate governance.

Another promising direction is the development of symbolic assets and heritage models associated with varieties linked to specific eco-regions or market segments. For example, the Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Museum, the Rice Monument in Bac Ninh, heritage forestry trees, and An Giang basa fish not only carry cultural value but also contribute to positioning the brand of Viet Nam's seed sector on the global map.

The Viet Nam Seed Trade Association (VSTA) is a socio-professional organization comprising individuals engaged in the trading, exchange, and supply of seeds in Viet Nam. The Association's primary objective is to build a well-organized seed trade sector that ensures an adequate supply of high-quality varieties for Vietnamese farmers while meeting international standards for participation in seed export markets and to support communities, organizations, and enterprises across Viet Nam.

In the new phase of development, building a seed brand is no longer the story of individual enterprises but must become a shared strategy of the Association and the entire seed sector. This is also a way to affirm the dynamic, innovative, and deeply integrated spirit of Vietnamese seed entrepreneurs.