Agriculture and forestry

(MPI) – Agricultural production in the first six months of 2024 maintained growth, meeting domestic consumption demand and serving exports. This year's winter-spring rice crop had a good harvest and good prices; fruit trees increased in both area and output due to high export demand. Livestock production developed stably with a fairly high increase in pork and poultry output, and diseases were controlled. The area of newly planted forests and timber harvest increased due to the improvement in timber export activities and the increase in raw wood prices. Aquaculture activities grew quite well, with localities focusing on investing in intensive and semi-intensive farming of some key aquatic products.

Illustration photo. Source: MPI

Regarding agriculture, the winter-spring rice cultivation area nationwide in 2024 will reach 2,954.0 thousand hectares, an increase of 1.2 thousand hectares compared to the winter-spring crop in 2023. Northern localities will reach 1,059.8 thousand hectares, a decrease of 8.2 thousand hectares. Some localities will see a decrease in the winter-spring rice area, such as Hanoi , down 1,534 hectares; Bac Ninh, down 801 hectares; Ha Giang, down 141 hectares; Thua Thien - Hue, down 145 hectares. Southern localities will reach 1,894.2 thousand hectares, an increase of 9.4 thousand hectares.

In the 2024 winter-spring crop, localities have proactively adjusted the crop season, changed crops, ensured irrigation water sources, focused on rice care to prevent cold and drought; along with that, departments, branches and sectors have policies to encourage people to expand production, actively apply new methods such as organic rice cultivation, use high-quality and high-yield rice varieties, and have the ability to resist pests and diseases, so this year's winter-spring rice yield is quite good. According to the preliminary report, the country's winter-spring rice yield is estimated at 68.8 quintals/ha, an increase of 0.4 quintals/ha compared to the previous winter-spring crop.

This year's winter-spring rice output is estimated at 20.32 million tons, an increase of 132,500 tons compared to the previous winter-spring crop. Some localities with increased winter-spring rice output compared to the previous winter-spring crop are Soc Trang with an increase of 87,600 tons; Tra Vinh with an increase of 34,900 tons; Long An with an increase of 30,500 tons; Bac Lieu with an increase of 13,700 tons; and Kien Giang with an increase of 13,400 tons.

Along with the winter-spring crop harvest, as of mid-June 2024, localities across the country have planted 1,825.4 thousand hectares of summer-autumn rice, equal to 98.3% of the same period last year, of which the Mekong Delta region reached 1,419.3 thousand hectares, equal to 97.8%. Along with rice cultivation, localities across the country are planting crops. However, the area of corn, peanuts and soybeans continues to decrease compared to the same period last year, mainly due to low economic efficiency; the area of vegetables and beans decreased due to prolonged hot weather. In particular, the area of sweet potatoes increased slightly because recently there have been many good quality sweet potato varieties that bring higher economic efficiency, so people have increased the new planting area. The total area of existing perennial trees is estimated at 3,784.9 thousand hectares, an increase of 0.8% over the same period in 2023. In the second quarter of 2024, the output of some fruit trees increased compared to the same period last year, such as mango reaching 440.2 thousand tons, up 2.3%; orange reaching 206.1 thousand tons, up 1.8%; durian reaching 343.3 thousand tons, up 17.6%; longan reaching 111.9 thousand tons, up 9.4%.

In the first six months of 2024, the output of some fruit trees increased compared to the same period last year, such as mango reaching 629.4 thousand tons, up 2.3%; orange reaching 519.4 thousand tons, up 2.4%; durian reaching 487.7 thousand tons, up 20.3%; jackfruit reaching 405.8 thousand tons, up 4.2%.

Cattle and buffalo farming tends to decrease in the month. Pig herds tend to increase strongly again due to the strong shift of household farming to semi-industrial farming, linking with enterprises; farm farming in a chain combining bio-safety, disease safety and application of advanced technology and high pork prices. For the livestock industry to develop stably and sustainably, management agencies need to provide orientations and measures to remove immediate and long-term difficulties. Guide businesses and people to practice bio-safety farming and control diseases.

As of June 23, 2024, the whole country has no avian influenza or blue ear disease; foot-and-mouth disease is still in Yen Bai and Gia Lai; lumpy skin disease is still in Bac Kan and Dak Nong; African swine fever is still in 23 localities that have not passed 21 days.

In the second quarter of 2024, the area of newly planted concentrated forests is estimated at 90.8 thousand hectares, up 5.1% over the same period last year; the number of scattered forest trees is estimated at 21 million trees, up 2.1%; the output of exploited timber is estimated at 6,261.1 thousand m3, up 7.3%. In the first six months of 2024, the area of newly planted concentrated forests is estimated at 128.5 thousand hectares, up 3.5% over the same period last year; the number of scattered forest trees is estimated at 44.6 million trees, up 2.9%.

The damaged forest area in the second quarter of 2024 was 851.8 hectares, down 6.7% over the same period last year. Aquaculture output in the second quarter of 2024 was estimated at 2,439.5 thousand tons, up 2.9% over the same period last year. Aquaculture output in the second quarter of 2024 was estimated at 1,364.3 thousand tons, up 4.1% over the same period last year. In the first six months of 2024, aquaculture output was estimated at 2,431.4 thousand tons, up 4.1% over the same period last year, including fish at 1,656.7 thousand tons, up 4.0%; shrimp at 487.7 thousand tons, up 4.5%; other aquatic products at 287.0 thousand tons, up 4.0%.

The output of exploited aquatic products in the second quarter of 2024 is estimated at 1,075.2 thousand tons, up 1.5% over the same period last year, of which fish reached 843.0 thousand tons, up 1.6%; shrimp reached 39.8 thousand tons, up 1.3%. The output of exploited marine aquatic products in the quarter is estimated at 1,027.7 thousand tons, up 1.4% over the same period last year. In the first six months of 2024, the output of exploited aquatic products is estimated at 1,953.3 thousand tons, up 1.0% over the same period last year, including fish reaching 1,515.6 thousand tons, up 1.1%; shrimp reaching 72.1 thousand tons, up 0.9%; other aquatic products reaching 365.6 thousand tons, up 0.7%./.

Minh Hau

Ministry of Planning and Investment

Source: https://www.mpi.gov.vn/portal/Pages/2024-6-30/Nong-lam-nghiep3blofz.aspx