Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien recently announced that this year’s agricultural exports could hit a historic high of $60-61 billion. He also assured the public that livestock production remains strong, ensuring sufficient meat supplies for the Lunar New Year holiday.

In an interview with the press, Deputy Minister Tien noted that while the agricultural sector faced both opportunities and challenges in the first nine months of the year, it incurred damages exceeding 30.8 trillion VND due to Typhoon No. 3 and subsequent flooding. Livestock and aquaculture were the hardest-hit sectors.

“People are wondering whether there will be enough meat for Tet, or if we’ll have to make Tet cakes with carp or buy discounted meat on TV,” he joked.

However, Deputy Minister Tien confirmed that by the end of September, meat production reached 6.13 million tons, a 4.8% increase year-on-year. With feed prices declining, livestock farmers are restocking, and growth rates should remain steady. He reassured the public that there will be no meat shortages during Tet.

Aquaculture production, including both farming and fishing, reached 7.02 million tons, and export turnover for this sector amounted to $7.23 billion by the end of September, with over $900 million in September alone. Deputy Minister Tien expects aquaculture exports to achieve the targeted $10 billion for the year.

In response to recent storm damage, particularly in provinces like Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, the Directorate of Fisheries (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) promptly distributed materials, seed stock, and feed to support recovery efforts.

With 170,000 hectares of downed forest, timber is being collected for pellet production to increase its market value. Meanwhile, preparations are underway in affected areas to plant new trees at the start of the year.

Despite an estimated loss of 300,000-400,000 tons of rice in the northern provinces, national rice production reached 34.01 million tons in the first nine months, a 1.5% increase from the previous year.

“October’s harvest will be impacted, but even accounting for the recent 300,000-400,000-ton loss from the total 43.3 million-ton yield, we can still secure 40 million tons for domestic and export markets,” Tien emphasized, adding that rice exports over the past nine months amounted to 7 million tons, generating $4.37 billion.

Regarding vegetables, he noted that their short harvest cycle ensures they are minimally affected by weather disruptions.

“When storms hit, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development assessed that northern mountainous provinces, being largely self-sufficient, would not significantly impact exports,” he explained.

He further noted that the agricultural sector's export turnover reached $46.28 billion in the first nine months of 2024, up 21% from last year, with $5.85 billion in September alone.

Of particular note, the sector's trade surplus surged to $13.9 billion, accounting for 66.8% of the economy’s total trade surplus.

With the current growth rate, agricultural exports could reach or even exceed $60-61 billion this year. “We should be proud to be part of the agricultural sector,” Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stated.

Tam An