Hanoi (VNA) 🎀– Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 27 urged the agriculture sector to accelerate and make breakthroughs for a more prosperous and happier life for farmers, more modern rural areas, and more advanced agriculture.

The sector must join the whole country to enter a new era - the era of the national rise, the PM said at a conference to review its performance in 2024 and launch tasks for 2025. Praising the sector's 2024 achievements, the Government leader highlighted the efforts by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in natural disaster prevention and control as well as in helping residents stabilise lives and production after natural disasters, meeting domestic needs and achieving new export records. 2025 will be a year for acceleration and breakthrough for Vietnam's agricultural sector. Without this, the industry could fall behind, he stressed. To achieve this, it must aim for a growth rate of 3.5-4%, 70 billion USD in the export value of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, and the forest coverage rate to be maintained at a stable level of 42.02%, he noted. The PM directed the MARD to focus on effective leadership and direction over planning, strategy development, and the completion of institutional frameworks and policies. He stressed the need to resolve institutional bottlenecks to promote rapid and sustainable growth in the agricultural sector. He further emphasized the importance of advancing science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation to support the development of green, circular, knowledge-based, and creative economies. The PM also tasked the ministry to take drastic measures to have the 'yellow card' on Vietnamese seafood imposed by the European Commission (EC) removed. At the conference, the ministry reported that in 2024, the sector faced both advantages and challenges. Notably, Super Typhoon Yagi caused severe damage to agricultural production in northern provinces. With great efforts, the sector implemented synchronous, flexible, and creative solutions to surmount the consequences. As a result, Vietnam ensured national food security while promoting strong and intensive international integration. Many key agricultural products continued to see their markets expand. Agricultural exports reached many new records. Agriculture affirmed its important position as a strong pillar of the economy. In 2024, the overall production value of the sector is estimated to grow by 3.3%, with the forest coverage rate at 42.02%. The rate of communes meeting new-style rural area standards hit 78.7% while the percentage of rural households using standardised clean water at 58%. The total export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products reached a record high of 62.5 billion USD, up 18.7% from 2023. The trade surplus continued to hit a new record of 17.9 billion USD, a year-on-year increase of 46.8%. For 2025, the agriculture sector targets a growth rate of 3.3-3.4%; total agro-forestry-fishery export value of 64-65 billion USD; over 80% of communes meeting new-style rural area standards; and a stable forest coverage rate of 42.02%./.