Values ​​that last through generations

Looking back at the 80-year journey of the industry's establishment, which is also the 80-year journey to gain Independence - Freedom - Happiness of the country, it can be said that agriculture in particular and 'three rural areas' in general always have a very special position.

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat shares about the 80-year development journey of the Agriculture and Environment sector. Photo: Pham Hieu.

In any period, our Party and State always pay great attention. In many historical periods, "agriculture, rural areas" have always been the leading front to create breakthroughs to help the country develop.

The agricultural sector is a large economic sector, and over the past 80 years, the sector's management organization has undergone many changes. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment today is a continuation of many previous ministerial-level organizations. Many generations of cadres and leaders of those organizations with many different titles are now under the same roof.

Although very diverse, one can still feel the consistent values ​​that make up the unique style of the "agricultural" team.

T is passionate , united , simple and close

In the agricultural sector, there are always many dedicated and passionate people, from grassroots cadres to ministry leaders. That passion is probably not only due to love for the job and responsibility, but also motivated by witnessing, accompanying and sharing the difficulties, hardships and joys of hard-working farmers.

Everyone knows that individual and collective efforts can help alleviate difficulties and bring about progress in the industry. Although sometimes they are only small improvements, continuous efforts in many aspects have contributed to creating great changes. The passion, dedication and responsibility of generations of leaders such as the late Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan have attracted many people to join him in finding new varieties and new ideas to help the industry rise up in the midst of difficulties, thereby loving the industry and the fields of their homeland more.

Late Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan (fourth from right) and agricultural officials visit rice fields. Photo: TL.

Farmers have the joy of meeting many colleagues wherever they go, sharing their concerns, successes and failures. When they meet, the conversation usually revolves around rice, potatoes, shrimp, fish... but it is very passionate and exciting because it seems that everyone is aiming at a single goal: the life of the farmer.

It is also easy to recognize each other, because "farmers" often show simplicity, closeness and attachment to farmers. In the agricultural sector, from technicians to Ministers, they all wade into the fields, go down to the fields to discuss, talk and share with farmers in "field seminars", fighting with farmers in production as well as in responding to natural disasters.

In the 1970s and 1980s of the last century, farmers in many places, especially in Thai Binh province, often met the late Minister, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nguyen Ngoc Triu passionately in the fields. And today's generation will surely remember the image of the late Minister Le Huy Ngo with his pants rolled up high, wearing a raincoat, a pith helmet, rushing with grassroots cadres and people to respond to natural disasters and floods.

Everyone knows that farmers are the ones who have made great achievements in Vietnam's agriculture. Agricultural officials have always listened to farmers, learned from their experiences and initiatives, thereby discovering problems and finding solutions right from practice. And such solutions always have a strong vitality and are quickly accepted by farmers and put into practice. Most of the successful agricultural development strategy ideas in our country have been born from practice.

“Farmers” often show simplicity, closeness and attachment to farmers. Photo: Pham Hieu.

Spirit of innovation and creativity

Over the past 80 years, agriculture has always been the pioneering sector in implementing the reform and innovation policies of the Party and State.

From the land reform movement and the free allocation of land to millions of farmers, the practical implementation of the slogan "Land to the tiller" is something that few countries have been able to do and has fundamentally changed the foundation of agricultural development. Farmers are the owners of their fields and gardens and enjoy almost all the benefits they produce instead of having to pay a portion to the landowner as under the old regime before and is still quite common in many countries around the world. More importantly, it has changed the status of millions of tenant farmers.

The Renovation process initiated by our Party in 1986 was also started from agriculture. “Contract 10” has become a noun expressing the spirit of renovation. That spirit has always permeated the agricultural sector.

Implementing the Party's innovation policy together with the efforts, dynamism and creativity of farmers is the journey leading to the achievements of our country's agriculture over the past four decades.

Resolution 10, along with many other important resolutions of the Party in the field of "agriculture and rural development" such as Resolution 26-NQ/TW in 2008 or Resolution 19 of the 13th National Congress, is both the foundation and the driving force that has contributed to bringing the country from a food shortage, having to import 1-2 million tons each year to the position of a rice-exporting country, a leading agricultural exporter in the world as it is today.

The development indicators of agriculture are a clear demonstration of creative and innovative thinking. That is, the agricultural growth rate has always been maintained and in this term reached an average of 3.5%. In 2025, agricultural exports are expected to reach over 65 billion USD and for a long time, Vietnam has become the world's leading agricultural exporting powerhouse.

Or the achievements of the irrigation industry with the irrigation system that can serve 95% of the country's rice growing area, becoming an important foundation for our agriculture to produce stably, even when there are floods or droughts, there is still a good harvest, helping farmers to produce stably. It can be said that our country's irrigation is a great achievement of agriculture, a heritage of the country.

The spirit of innovation and creativity is also demonstrated in that, when directing agricultural development, the Party and State focus on the comparative advantages of the country, each region and each locality.

Looking back over the past 80 years, we see that in the early stages, agriculture focused on the advantages of coffee, rubber, and pepper in the Southeast and Central Highlands, tea in the Northern mountainous region, and cashew in the Southeast. Thanks to the spirit of innovation and creativity, the area and output of these crops increased rapidly and contributed significantly to the overall growth rate of the industry. For example, coffee, from a very low output in the 1980s of only a few tens of thousands of tons, has now quickly become the second largest coffee producer and exporter in the world. Similarly, rubber, pepper, and cashew trees have also developed and achieved many outstanding achievements.

The next stage is to improve fruit trees, livestock, aquaculture, etc. I remember that when building the aquaculture development strategy, the agricultural sector identified the advantages of key aquatic products such as pangasius, shrimp, and mollusks. From there, we focused on developing science and technology, policy mechanisms, infrastructure, etc. Up to now, our aquaculture has grown far. The total aquatic product output has reached more than 9 million tons, contributing greatly to the growth of the industry and being highly appreciated by international friends.

It is a journey from promoting the initial advantages of natural conditions, land, climate, and water resources. Gradually, there is innovation and creativity to develop science and technology, develop infrastructure and human resources, thereby promoting agricultural advantages more and more.

Former Minister Cao Duc Phat. Photo: Pham Hieu.

Continuity

In many countries, agricultural leadership and policies change a lot every time a new political party wins an election, sometimes in contradiction. Over the past 80 years under the leadership of the Party, our country has consistently implemented agricultural development policies, guidelines and strategies to meet the requirements of each period. Therefore, the activities of the sector always follow long-term directions, along with solving problems of a situational nature.

Late Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Cong Tan persistently and resolutely directed the development and implementation of innovation policies, especially land policies, innovation of cooperatives and state-owned forestry farms, elimination of subsidies, and promotion of liberalization of trade in agricultural products and agricultural materials.

The late Minister Le Huy Ngo proposed and resolutely directed the implementation of the breeding program, enhanced research potential and transferred science and technology... which strongly impacted the development of the industry until today.

Late Minister Le Huy Ngo - a man who walked through the storm and flood. Photo: TL.

The strategies, directions, and decisions of the monuments in the agricultural sector, the precious traditional values ​​have been inherited and continued. My generation or Ministers Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Le Minh Hoan… have all become “agricultural workers” and have more or less contributed to the cause of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas.

For many consecutive years, our country has mobilized resources to invest in irrigation development as a basis for a productive, high-quality and resilient agriculture. The role of irrigation will increasingly increase in responding to climate change. The existing irrigation system is a valuable heritage of the country that needs to be protected and further improved for the future.

Through continuous efforts over many decades, our country has stopped the decline, restored forest cover and reserves, contrary to the general trend in the world. Forests have become ecological shields, an important factor ensuring sustainable development of the agricultural sector and the country.

With continuous efforts over the past 20 years, piloting and perfecting the methods, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has fundamentally changed the appearance of most rural areas. Along with that, the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction has also achieved great achievements, highly appreciated by the international community.

It can be said that the achievements that our country's agricultural sector has achieved in the past 80 years are very great and worthy of pride. Most importantly, agriculture has firmly ensured the supply of food for more than one hundred million people in our country, with many diverse products and products, increasingly improved quality at cheaper prices than many countries in the world. The income and living conditions of the majority of rural people have improved significantly. Today's farmers have become real owners. Our country's agriculture has become an increasingly deeply integrated commodity production industry with increasingly enhanced competitiveness, many products have a high position in the international market.

Entering a new phase, in order for agriculture, rural areas and farmers to contribute adequately in the country's rising era, the precious traditional values ​​of the industry need to continue to be maintained and promoted.

With solidarity, unanimity, always being close to farmers, perseverance, continuous innovation under the leadership of the Party, I believe that we will bring our country's agriculture and rural areas to many new and greater achievements, further cultivating the value and belief in ecological agriculture, modern countryside, and civilized farmers.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Agriculture and Environment Day and the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment organized a series of events from July to December 2025. The focus was the 80th anniversary of the Agriculture and Environment sector and the 1st Patriotic Emulation Congress, held on the morning of November 12, 2025 at the National Convention Center (Hanoi) with more than 1,200 delegates attending. Agriculture and Environment Newspaper broadcast this event live on www.nongnghiep.vn

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/nhung-gia-tri-xuyen-suot-qua-nhieu-the-he-d781299.html