Minister Le Minh Hoan reported that in the first seven months of the year, the total export value of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products reached US$29.13 billion, a decrease of 9.1% compared to the same period last year. Most concerning is that despite an increase in the production of harvested and farmed aquatic products compared to the same period last year, the export value of this sector only reached US$4.95 billion, a decrease of 25.4% compared to the same period last year.
National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue assessed the question-and-answer session as high-quality, practical, and responsive to the aspirations of voters. (Screenshot)
Four advantageous product groups have taken advantage of the opportunity to boost exports, bringing in significantly higher export values compared to the same period last year: fruits and vegetables, coffee, and cashew nuts. Rice exports alone increased by 29.6% and are projected to continue rising in the remaining months of this year as India and several other countries have temporarily halted rice exports, and Thailand has recommended reducing rice cultivation area to avoid the El Niño phenomenon…
"Difficulties in agricultural exports still exist, and the slow recovery of market demand is due to market fluctuations stemming from global instability," Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan stated. He also noted that challenges present many opportunities, especially in the rice sector, and emphasized the need for flexibility to ensure both domestic food security and safety while proactively securing supply to meet export demands.
The session included a question-and-answer session on agricultural issues, with rice cultivation and combating IUU fishing being particularly heated topics. (Screenshot)
According to calculations, in 2023, rice production is estimated to reach 43.1 million tons (an increase of over 452,000 tons compared to the same period); rice exports are estimated at 7.0 million tons (equivalent to 29.5 million tons of paddy). According to the Minister, the current rice production situation is still only a short-term forecast, while the global situation in this sector is constantly changing, requiring flexibility and adaptation to a volatile market.
Speaking about production relations, the head of the agricultural sector expressed a desire to effectively shift from a buy-and-sell mindset to a cooperative one, ensuring that the production chain is not disrupted and that it is digitized in line with the collective economy, suitable for the modern era.
In response to questions, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shared many insights on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas. (Screenshot)
"In agriculture, rice farmers have the lowest income, that's undeniable, despite many changes in reality. Increasing rice farmers' income doesn't just depend on high rice prices and increased rice exports, but also on the entire production process. The more input costs are reduced, the higher the income will be. Furthermore, people's income from rice farming now comes not only from rice grains, but also from fish, shrimp, crabs, and ecotourism, rural tourism… This is the circular economy, green growth, which the agricultural sector is aiming for, not just on rice fields," the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shared.
National Assembly deputies Nguyen Quoc Han and Nguyen Duy Thanh attended the questioning session at the Ca Mau location.
To further illustrate the above information, regarding the strategic vision, the Minister stated that priorities include perfecting policies and laws for developing trademarks and brands for key agricultural products; organizing sustainable agricultural production according to the goals and orientations in the Strategy for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development and specific solutions in ongoing projects, such as: "Pilot project to build standardized agricultural and forestry raw material areas for domestic consumption and export in the 2022-2025 period"; "Ensuring food safety and improving the quality of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products linked to consumer markets"; "Promoting the export of agricultural, forestry and aquatic products by 2030"... In addition, the Ministry will continue to accelerate the development of the Project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality rice monoculture associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta"; The project "Developing a logistics system to improve the quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products by 2030, with a vision to 2050"...
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan requested that localities actively participate, strictly adhere to regulations, and be flexible in managing rice cultivation land areas.
Regarding the fight against IUU fishing, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that significant progress has been made, such as the basic legal framework meeting international requirements; the management of fishing fleets has seen many positive changes; and the overall control of imported seafood products according to the PSMA Agreement has improved compared to before. “Removing the IUU yellow card is a decisive action demonstrating commitment and responsibility in deep integration with the international community; it is a goal to restore fish stocks and increase the diversity of aquatic resources. This involves reducing fishing intensity and shifting from fishing to aquaculture,” the Minister clearly stated.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan requested that sufficiently strong sanctions be implemented, demonstrating a firm commitment to strictly punishing violations against IUU fishing.
Responding to questions in the National Assembly this afternoon, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien provided information on the orientation of goods supply and market expansion to increase agricultural export volume, contributing to raising the value of agricultural products. The questioning session included many topics related to the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Finance, and Health.
Tran Nguyen
Source link
Comment (0)