GDP growth of the entire agricultural sector reached the highest level in many years

On January 3, under the chairmanship of comrade Le Minh Hoan - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a conference to review the work in 2023 and deploy the plan for 2024. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and directed the conference.

Ensuring food security, contributing to macroeconomic stability

In 2023, the agricultural and rural sector will carry out its tasks in conditions with many difficulties and challenges, especially in terms of the export market for forestry and aquatic products. However, by strongly transforming to an agricultural economic mindset, integrating internationally, and making efforts to overcome many difficulties, the sector has maintained high growth momentum and comprehensive development over the past year.

The GDP growth of the entire agricultural sector was 3.83%, the highest in recent years, contributing greatly to the 5.05% growth of the economy. Agriculture continued to affirm its important position and support the economy, firmly ensuring food security, contributing to macroeconomic stability.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits OCOP booths displayed at the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development before the conference. Photo: SGGPO

Total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products reached over 53 billion USD; the highest trade surplus ever was 12.07 billion USD, up 43.7%. Of which, some items increased to record highs such as vegetables, rice, and cashews. Vietnam has produced and exported commercial vaccines against African swine fever.

The agricultural, forestry and fishery processing industry develops in the direction of deep processing and high value, improving the quality of vocational training for rural workers, and training high-quality human resources to meet the needs of sustainable development.

The industry has successfully organized many major events of national and international scale (International Rice Festival, Craft Village Conservation and Development Festival, ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Prevention...), promoting image, brand and boosting consumption of agricultural products.

To date, the whole country has about 6,370/8,167 (78%) communes meeting new rural standards, 270 district-level units have been recognized for completing tasks/meeting new rural standards. OCOP products have grown rapidly in quantity and quality, and developed brands; there are 11,056 OCOP products achieving 3 stars or more.

Nghe An bridge participated in the conference chaired by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De. Photo: Phu Huong

Speaking at the conference, recognizing the great contributions of the Agriculture and Rural Development sector to socio-economic development in 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also pointed out the remaining problems and limitations that need to be focused on overcoming in the coming time.

"The Agriculture and Rural Development sector needs to continue focusing on transforming from agricultural production thinking to agricultural economic thinking; from single-sector development to multi-sector cooperation and development; promoting multi-value integration in agricultural, forestry and fishery products; shifting from agricultural product supply chains to developing industry chains," the Deputy Prime Minister directed.

To continue to develop, thinking must always be innovative, vision must be strategic, not passive and confused. Promote well the leadership role of Party committees at all levels, the management of the government and mobilize the strength and participation of all people. Discipline, responsibility, proactiveness, timeliness, acceleration, creativity, efficiency and sustainability.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh

In 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development set a target of GDP growth rate of 3.0 - 3.5% for the whole sector; Agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover of 54 - 55 billion USD. Strive for the rate of communes meeting new rural standards to be 80%; 290 district-level units to meet standards/complete the task of building new rural areas; The rate of rural households using clean water according to standards to be 58%; The forest cover rate is stable at 42.02%, improving forest quality.

To achieve the set goals, the industry has set out 6 key tasks and solutions on production organization, production planning orientation, trade promotion, public investment implementation, science and technology development, and communication for agricultural and rural development.

Leaders of Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development attended the online conference. Photo: Phu Huong

Nghe An proposes mechanisms and policies for forestry economic development

In 2023, Nghe An's GRDP growth is estimated at 7.14%; in which agriculture is considered a bright spot in economic development with GRDP growth reaching 4.54%/plan of 4.5-5.0%.

Nghe An develops large timber plantation. Photo: Nghe An Newspaper

The potential advantages of forest resources and forestry land are the basis for Nghe An to develop a sustainable economy, towards a green economy and a circular economy, in which the multi-use values of the forest ecosystem are maximized. The GRDP growth rate of the forestry sector in the period 2021-2023 will increase by an average of 6.8%/year.

However, Nghe An has not yet fully exploited its forest potential, especially maximizing the multi-use values of the forest.

Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee proposed some issues in forest economic development. Photo: Phu Huong

Speaking at the conference, Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De proposed that the Government and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development support Nghe An in building specific mechanisms and policies to develop the forestry economy, the multi-use value of the forest ecosystem, and the sustainable livelihoods of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas. Pay attention to supporting Nghe An in investing in infrastructure to serve the development of the forestry economy.

Propose to authorize Nghe An to consider the policy of converting the use of natural forests to other purposes to implement key and urgent projects in the area. Allow the province to use funds for reforestation but not enough conditions for reforestation to protect and develop forests; pilot the Carbon Credit Trading Project to exchange greenhouse gas emission quotas, offset domestic market carbon credits and be autonomous in transferring transactions, buying and selling, and exchanging carbon credits to the international market.

At the same time, it is recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development consider submitting to the Government a pilot mechanism and policy to support the implementation of the program of population relocation and rearrangement in special-use forests and protective forests.

The Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee also proposed reviewing and adjusting the forest cover target in Nghe An province (63.5%) in the draft national forestry planning for the period 2021-2030, vision 2050 down to 58% to ensure compliance with the local implementation situation, ensuring synchronization with the Provincial Planning and the orientation of the Politburo in Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW dated July 18, 2023.

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