Speech of Minister Tran Duc Thang at the 80th Anniversary of the Agriculture and Environment Sector

Agriculture and Environment Newspaper respectfully introduces the speech of Minister Tran Duc Thang at the 80th Anniversary Ceremony of the Industry and the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress.

Dear Comrade To Lam, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam ,

Dear Comrade Pham Minh Chinh, Politburo member, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Dear leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front ,

Dear international guests, leaders of central and local departments, ministries, branches and organizations,

Dear Leaders , former Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment through the periods, Labor Heroes, advanced models,

Dear delegates, distinguished guests, and all generations of cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers in the Agriculture and Environment sector.

Today, in a solemn and emotional atmosphere, sharing the pride of the nation, we solemnly gather here to look back on the 80-year journey of building and developing the Agriculture and Environment sector (1945-2025). The past eighty years have been a difficult but extremely glorious historical journey; an epic of the willpower, intelligence and creative working spirit of generations, which have contributed to building a green, strong and developed Vietnam.

General Secretary To Lam and Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang attended the 80th Anniversary Ceremony of the sector and the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress. Photo: Tung Dinh.

This important event is an opportunity for us to express our deep gratitude to generations of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers who have devoted themselves to the Agriculture and Environment sector; at the same time, summarize valuable lessons and experiences; honor typical and advanced collectives and individuals at the first Patriotic Emulation Congress of the sector.

This is also an opportunity to arouse pride, foster enthusiasm and aspiration to contribute to creating solidarity, self-reliance, and the whole industry to firmly step into the new era of the country with a new mindset, new determination and greater aspirations.

The Party Committee, the Ministry's leaders and all generations of cadres, civil servants and public employees of the Agriculture and Environment sector would like to warmly welcome and express our sincere gratitude to Comrade General Secretary To Lam, the leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government, the leaders of departments, ministries, branches, localities, the leaders of the Ministry through the periods, the distinguished delegates, guests and the advanced models of the sector. The presence of Comrade General Secretary To Lam and comrades is a recognition and a source of great encouragement and motivation for the entire Agriculture and Environment sector.

Dear comrades,

Right from the early days of the country's founding, amidst countless hardships, beloved President Ho Chi Minh advised: "If our farmers are rich, our country will be rich, if our agriculture is prosperous, our country will be prosperous". He also emphasized: "Nature has given us land, water, forests, seas, and climate for living. We must know how to preserve, respect, and develop... ". Those sacred teachings have become the guiding principle for all policies of the Party and State over the past 80 years to build " prosperous agriculture, wealthy farmers, civilized countryside, and sustainable environment" .

Minister Tran Duc Thang speaks at the 80th Anniversary Ceremony of the industry and the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress. Photo: Tung Dinh.

Looking back 80 years ago, during the two resistance wars (1945-1975), despite the fierce "rain of bombs and bullets" and harsh natural disasters, agriculture still maintained both production and combat, excellently completing the task of "one hand plowing, one hand shooting" , supporting human and material resources to the front line. Millions of hectares of land were reclaimed, tens of thousands of irrigation works were built by the people, creating the miracle of "not a pound of rice missing, not a soldier missing".

After the reunification (1975), in extremely difficult economic conditions, with infrastructure destroyed, the Party and State identified agricultural development as the central task, stabilizing people's lives as the top priority. The agricultural sector quickly restored production, consolidated technical facilities, developed cooperatives, state-owned agricultural and forestry farms, and implemented land reclamation, irrigation, field improvement, and afforestation programs. By the end of the 1970s, basic food production capacity was restored.

However, the centralized subsidy management mechanism revealed many limitations, low productivity, and prolonged food shortages. From that reality, the Party issued innovative policies in agriculture, such as Contract 100 (in 1981) and Contract 10 (in 1988) - initiating a fundamental shift in the management mechanism, awakening the potential of farmers. Vietnamese agriculture gradually escaped the period of poverty, moving towards self-reliance and ensuring national food security.

Entering the Doi Moi period in 1986, Vietnam's agriculture has made great strides in development. Breakthrough policies, such as the 1987 Land Law, the 1993 Land Law, along with programs to transform the structure of crops and livestock, apply science and technology, build new rural areas, etc., have opened a period of comprehensive development. From a place of food shortages and having to import food in the 1980s, Vietnam has ensured food security and become one of the world's leading agricultural exporters; in 2024, the export value of agricultural, forestry and fishery products increased nearly 50 times, reaching more than 62.5 billion USD, putting Vietnam in the top 15 largest agricultural exporters in the world. Items such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, seafood, vegetables, etc. are continuously in the top 5 largest exporters globally.

Over the past 80 years, the Agriculture and Environment sector has written a glorious page of history along with the history of building and defending the country. In hardship, the mettle, self-reliance, creativity and aspiration of those working in the fields of agriculture, natural resources and environment have been tempered and nurtured, becoming a solid foundation for the country's construction and development today. Photo: Tung Dinh.

Agriculture has truly become a pillar of the economy, contributing to macroeconomic stability, ensuring social security and sustainable poverty reduction. During difficult times, such as the Asian Financial Crisis (1997-1998), the global economic recession (2008-2009) or the COVID-19 pandemic, agriculture has still developed, helping the economy maintain growth and social stability.

In particular, the National Target Program on New Rural Development, implemented since 2010, has fundamentally changed the face of rural areas, with more than 78% of communes meeting standards, infrastructure improved, and people's lives improved. The multidimensional poverty rate has decreased from 58% (in 1993) to 4.06% (in 2024). This is a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of agricultural, farmer, and rural development policies.

With the mission of being the foundation for national construction and development, the Agriculture and Environment sector was formed and developed very early. Immediately after gaining independence, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam identified resource management and environmental protection as an important task, closely linked to the welfare and life of the people. On that basis, the state management apparatus on land, mineral geology, environment, hydrometeorology, climate change, sea - islands, remote sensing, etc. has been constantly improved and expanded, meeting the development requirements of each historical period of the country.

At the same time, the construction and improvement of legal institutions and policies have been continuously strengthened. Since the 1990s, many important laws such as the Law on Environmental Protection, the Land Law, the Water Resources Law, the Mineral Law, the Forestry Law, the Biodiversity Law, etc. have created an increasingly synchronous legal foundation for resource management and environmental protection, in line with the requirements of innovation and international integration.

National strategies on green growth, environmental protection and climate change response have also been strongly implemented; many major programs such as: Planting 5 million hectares of new forests, One billion trees... have achieved remarkable results. Environmental protection has become a pillar of sustainable development, not trading the environment for economic growth. Thanks to that, social awareness has been raised, forest coverage has been maintained at over 42%, many ecosystems have been restored, and environmental quality has been improved. In 2024, Vietnam will rank 54/166 countries in sustainable development, up 34 places compared to 2016, second in ASEAN; the rate of collection and treatment of household waste will reach 97.28% in urban areas and 83.1% in rural areas... thereby contributing to ensuring ecological balance and national resource security.

It can be affirmed that over the past 80 years, the Agriculture and Environment sector has written a glorious page of history along with the history of building and defending the country of the nation. In hardship, the mettle, self-reliance, creativity and aspiration of those working in the fields of agriculture, natural resources and environment have been tempered and nurtured, becoming a solid foundation for the construction and development of the country today.

Over the past 80 years, we have the right to be proud of the agricultural sector - carrying the sacred mission of ensuring national food security and maintaining social stability; proud of the forestry sector - the green shield of the Fatherland in protecting the environment and preserving ecology; proud of the fisheries and salt industry - the people who cling to the sea, cling to fishing grounds, cherish the salty taste of the ocean to bring back bumper fish harvests and rich salt grains to enrich the homeland.

We are also proud of Rural Development and Irrigation - the hands and minds that have fundamentally changed the face of the countryside, built solid dykes, magnificent irrigation works to bring water to the fields, paving the way for production development; proud of the Disaster Prevention and Control and Hydrometeorology force - those who "measure the wind, count the rain" day and night, standing at the forefront of the wind and waves, becoming a reliable shield to protect the lives and property of the people; proud of the fields of Land, Water Resources, Geology and Minerals - those who preserve and manage "every inch of land, every inch of gold", the source of life and resources, national resources, providing a fulcrum for economic development, national defense and security.

We are proud of Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing Technology - the silent people who draw the shape of the country on each map, expanding the vision from space to manage resources, territory and environment in an increasingly scientific and modern way.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang, Editor-in-Chief of Agriculture and Environment Newspaper Nguyen Ngoc Thach at the 80th Anniversary Ceremony of the Agriculture and Environment Sector, the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress. Photo: Khuong Trung.

And we are also proud of the fields of Environment, Climate Change and Integrated Management of Marine and Island Resources - the pioneering force in preserving living space for future generations, affirming and exercising national sovereignty, demonstrating Vietnam's responsibility to the international community.

Dear comrades!

In response to the new requirements of national development, the 15th National Assembly has resolved to merge the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment from March 1, 2025. This is an important historical milestone, demonstrating the strategic vision and political determination of the Party and State in managing, exploiting and promoting national resources more effectively, meeting development requirements in the new period, new era.

Immediately after the merger, the Ministry quickly reorganized and stabilized the apparatus, ensuring a streamlined, smooth, effective and efficient operation, meeting the assigned political tasks. Along with the process of reorganization and stabilization of the organization, emulation and reward work also received close attention and direction. The patriotic emulation movements in the 2020-2025 period continued to spread strongly, creating a vibrant atmosphere, encouraging cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers to overcome difficulties, making important contributions to the excellent completion of the tasks of the Ministry and the industry.

Many typical movements have achieved clear results, such as: "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas" ; "The whole country joins hands for the poor - leaving no one behind" ; "The whole country joins hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses" ; "Cadres, civil servants and public employees compete to practice office culture" ; or the movement " Innovation and digital transformation , Digital literacy " ; the campaign: " Getting rich, cleaning up the national land database " ... have become important driving forces, creating positive changes in the awareness and actions of the whole industry; making practical contributions to the country's overall achievements.

Dear Comrade General Secretary , dear delegates,

Entering a new stage of development - the era of national growth, our country is facing profound changes of the times: the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the trend of green transformation, development of knowledge economy, circular economy, low-carbon economy; along with that is the urgent need to ensure food security, energy security, water security and protection of the global ecological environment. The fluctuations, geopolitical - economic, trade and technological competition... have opened up new development opportunities, but also posed enormous demands and challenges for the Agriculture and Environment sector of our country.

Entering a new stage of development in the era of national growth, the Agriculture and Environment sector will continue to strive to innovate, create, and pioneer in the journey of sustainable development to contribute to the successful implementation of the country's development goals by 2030, the 100th anniversary of the Party's founding, and towards 2045, the 100th anniversary of the country's founding, realizing the vision of a rich, civilized, prosperous, and happy Vietnam. Photo: Tung Dinh.

In that context, the industry's overarching goal is to develop ecological agriculture, modern countryside, civilized farmers; protect, exploit and sustainably use natural resources; proactively adapt to climate change, ensure environmental security, and contribute to building a country that develops rapidly, sustainably, prosperously and happily.

To achieve that goal, the entire sector has been resolutely grasping and effectively implementing Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW dated June 16, 2022 of the 13th Central Executive Committee on agriculture, farmers and rural areas. This is a strategic orientation, an inevitable path to promote endogenous strength, exploit potentials and advantages, and ensure comprehensive and sustainable development of our country's agriculture. Along with that, Directive No. 29-CT/TW dated January 3, 2023 of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership in environmental protection in the new period will be strictly implemented; considering this a regular task and a political responsibility of the entire system, of each cadre, party member and each citizen.

On that basis, the Agriculture and Environment sector will focus on implementing a number of key tasks and solutions in the coming time as follows:

Firstly, perfecting the modern, unified governance model and institutions. Comprehensively reviewing and amending laws on land, water, forests, environment, climate and agriculture, ensuring consistency and transparency. Perfecting the organizational structure of the Ministry to be streamlined, multi-disciplinary, capable of strategic planning and comprehensive management by region, basin and ecosystem. Strong decentralization associated with accountability, enhancing the coordination role of the Central Government and the effectiveness of local management.

Second, develop ecological agriculture, green and circular economy. Shift strongly from extensive growth to sustainable values ​​based on science, technology and innovation. Replicating low-emission models, biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest management. Establishing green standards, elevating Vietnamese agricultural product brands associated with traceability, geographical indications and carbon credits.

Third, manage and use national resources effectively and sustainably. Exploit and use land, water, forests, minerals, and seas economically for long-term development. Digitize and publicize data on natural resources and the environment, and improve governance based on results and evidence.

Fourth, promote science and technology and digital transformation as a driving force for breakthroughs. Apply artificial intelligence, big data, sensors, and blockchain in resource monitoring and smart agriculture. Promote research on climate-adaptive plant and animal varieties; support start-ups and innovation ecosystems in rural areas.

Fifth, improve governance and mobilize resources for green transformation. Unlock domestic and international resources, especially climate finance, new-generation ODA, and private capital for green investment. Proactively participate in global initiatives on Net Zero emissions and low-carbon economy; affirm Vietnam's role and position in the region and the world.

Dear comrades and delegates,

The achievements of the Agriculture and Environment sector over the past 80 years are the result of the efforts, intelligence and sacrifices of previous generations of cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers. We will always remember and appreciate those great contributions.

On this occasion, I request all cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in the industry to continue promoting the glorious 80-year tradition; renew thinking, promote research and application of science and technology, promote digital transformation and green transformation; improve productivity, quality and added value of agricultural products; proactively adapt to climate change, protect resources and the ecological environment.

Each individual in the industry needs to uphold the spirit of responsibility, solidarity, creativity, and competition to excellently complete assigned tasks; contributing to realizing the goal of building ecological agriculture, modern countryside, civilized farmers, sustainable environment, and making our country develop rapidly, sustainably, and powerfully.

Entering a new stage of development in the era of national growth, the Agriculture and Environment sector will continue to strive to innovate, create, and pioneer in the journey of sustainable development to contribute to the successful implementation of the country's development goals by 2030, the 100th anniversary of the Party's founding, and towards 2045, the 100th anniversary of the country's founding, realizing the vision of a rich, civilized, prosperous, and happy Vietnam.

Once again, I would like to wish Comrade General Secretary To Lam, Comrade Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Comrade former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front and all comrades and delegates good health, happiness and success!

Thank you very much!

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/dien-van-cua-bo-truong-tran-duc-thang-tai-le-ky-niem-80-nam-nganh-nn-mt-d783808.html