Director of Agro-Product Processing and Market Development Department (MARD) Nguyen Quoc Toan: The driving force to promote agricultural exports.
In 2020, our country’s agricultural export turnover will reach US $ 41.2 billion, which is a remarkable success of the Agriculture sector. Promoting that result, right from the early days of 2021, agricultural export activities took place very actively.
Talking with reporters of the New Han Newspapers, Director of Agro-Product Processing and Market Development Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Nguyen Quoc Toan said: The Agriculture sector will continue to implement many new motivational solutions for exports agricultural products, contributing to promoting growth …
Director of Agro-Product Processing and Market Development Department (MARD) Nguyen Quoc Toan
Agriculture sector’s trade surplus reached US $ 10.4 billion
– 2020 is a very special year for the export in general and the export of agricultural products in particular when natural disasters are severe, the Covid-19 epidemic has surrounded the world, international trade activities are seriously affected … However, Export turnover of agricultural products of Vietnam has reached 41.2 billion USD. So, can you elaborate on this success?
Last year, the Agriculture sector faced many difficulties and challenges caused by natural disasters and epidemics. However, with many efforts, the Agriculture sector has achieved remarkable results. The industry’s GDP growth rate reached 2.65%; food production, ensuring food to meet the needs of the people and for export.
In particular, from actively opening markets, removing trade barriers with many flexible solutions, although the supply chain is sometimes interrupted due to the Covid-19 epidemic, exports of Vietnamese agricultural, forestry and aquatic products South 2020 continues to set a new record. Accordingly, the total export turnover reached 41.2 billion USD, up 2.6% compared to 2019, the highest number ever. The Agriculture sector continues to maintain 9 commodity groups with an export turnover of over US $ 1 billion, of which 5 items with a turnover of over US $ 3 billion (forest and wood products reach US $ 13.1 billion; fisheries 8, 4 billion USD; vegetables and fruits nearly 3.35 billion USD; cashew nuts 3.24 billion USD; rice 3.07 billion USD). Trade surplus of the entire Agriculture sector reached 10.4 billion USD, up 6.5% compared to 2019.
– Forest products, aquatic products and rice play a key role in agricultural export activities. Could you tell us more clearly the role of these three industries in creating a new driving force, increasing export value in the coming years, contributing to promoting the growth of the Agriculture sector?
– The three above-mentioned commodity industries all had high export turnover value in the past year. The forestry products and wooden furniture industry reached an export value of 13.1 billion USD, up 13.4%; rice reached 3.07 billion USD, up 9.3% in value over the same period in 2019. Seafood exports were estimated at 8.4 billion USD, down 0.9% but in the context of epidemics and disruptions. This is a very positive result in the market. This commodity group has made an important contribution to boosting the export value of agricultural products in 2020.
Information on agricultural exports in January 2021 continued to bring positive signals. The first shipments of seafood and rice have been exported to many potential markets such as the United States, the European Union – EU, Japan, Singapore, … Typically, the company is a joint stock company. Minh Phu seafood (Hau Giang province) includes 8 containers of shrimp to the EU, US and Japan markets; Seafood shipment of Ba Ria – Vung Tau Seafood Processing Import and Export Joint Stock Company includes 8 containers of squid, tuna, octopus, shrimp, etc. to Canada, USA, Australia …
In particular, rice is enjoying unprecedented advantages from joining bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements … On January 13, 2021, Trung An High-tech Agriculture Joint Stock Company has exported 1,600 tons of rice to Malaysia and Singapore with high prices, Huong Lai fragrant rice at 750 USD / ton, Jasmine fragrant rice at 680 USD / ton.
From the above results, it can be said that in 2021 and the following years, these products will still be the mainstays of Vietnam’s agricultural exports.
Many solutions deal with adverse conditions
– The positive signals are coming, but the difficulties are still not over for export activities in general, agricultural export in particular. So what are the challenges ahead, sir?
– By 2021, the world is still facing the Covid-19 epidemic and will continue to have serious impacts on socio-economic fields. In that context, the export activities in general and the export of agricultural products in particular still face many difficulties and challenges. First, countries will increase investment in food production in the country to reduce dependence on imports and ensure food security. Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products are also subject to stronger competition from products from other agricultural exporting countries. Second, when implementing commitments to open markets and reduce taxes, importing countries will increase the application of technical measures and trade barriers, causing many obstacles to Vietnam’s agricultural exports. Third, political conflicts, trade conflicts between major countries continue to affect, affecting exports in general and agricultural exports in particular. Fourth, Vietnam’s Agriculture continues to face many difficulties and challenges from climate change, natural disasters and epidemics.
The challenges mentioned above are posing many problems, requiring a lot of efforts as well as the coordination of the authorities and the Agriculture sector to promote export growth.
– In addition to focusing on resolving difficulties and challenges, how will lessons and successful experiences of 2020 be applied to agricultural exports in 2021 and the following years?
– In order to cope with adverse conditions and achieve agricultural export targets in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has identified key solutions to create a new driving force to promote agricultural export growth.
First of all, focus on negotiations to remove trade barriers and technical barriers of countries for Vietnam’s agricultural exports; promptly warn of regulations on barriers and arising problems for agricultural exports, especially in key markets.
Second, enhancing the utilization of commitments from signed free trade agreements (FTAs), implementing action plans to implement next-generation FTAs such as: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ), Vietnam – European Union Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) …
Third, Collaborate with embassies and trade deals in other countries to provide information, analysis and forecasts about the market, thereby orienting and planning domestic production, creating responsive agricultural products. market requirements, production in chains associated with export.
Four is, organizing trade promotion activities, introducing and promoting agricultural products that are Vietnam’s strength to the world market, attracting investment and transferring technology into the agricultural sector.
Fifth, strongly deploy agricultural restructuring, promote the building and develop brands of national key products, continue to develop agricultural products according to 3 product axes, including national and provincial product axes. and the local level as the spearhead associated with the geographical indication.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will also focus on implementing solutions to reorganize production in the value chain and promote agricultural consumption. Development of production in the direction of ensuring the application of the system of traceability, granting codes for growing regions, farming areas … At the same time, the Agriculture sector promotes mechanisms to increase investment in processing and preservation. agricultural products, creating added value for agricultural, forestry and aquatic products. On the other hand, the industry focuses on solutions, promoting domestic consumption, considering this an urgent task to cope with unpredictable developments of the Covid-19 epidemic.
– Thank you very much!
Do Minh (T / H)
Source: New Hanoi Newspaper
