At the press conference, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said: In the first three months of the year, the entire agriculture and rural sector actively implemented key tasks to implement the 2024 Plan and Action Plan to implement Resolution No. 01 /NQ-CP dated January 5, 2024 of the Government on main tasks and solutions to implement the socio-economic development plan and state budget estimate for 2024. The Ministry has proactively coordinated with the Ministries, branches and localities focus on implementing solutions to stabilize production and respond to market fluctuations, weather and epidemics; Strengthen negotiations to open the market to promote agricultural product consumption.
The Ministry and the entire Sector determined and thoroughly grasped the year’s action motto of “Disciplined responsibility, timely initiative, accelerated creativity, sustainable efficiency” in advising the Government, Prime Minister, Coordinate closely with ministries, branches and localities; Mobilize resources to soon deploy and synchronously implement agricultural and rural development tasks and solutions.
In the first three months of 2024, agriculture still achieved good growth; Productivity and output of many key products increased, ensuring sufficient supply of food and essential goods, contributing to the overall growth of the country’s economy. Regarding the growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value, the first quarter of 2024 is estimated to reach 2.9 – 3% compared to the same period in 2023 (of which crop production increases by 2.02%; livestock increases by 4.0%. 34%, aquaculture increased 3.46%; forestry increased 4.11%). In the first three months of the year, total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products was estimated at 13.53 billion USD, up 21.8% over the same period last year (CKNT); Trade surplus was 3.36 billion USD, an increase of 96.5%.
Overview of the press conference
The industry-wide growth rate is estimated at 2.98% (higher than the growth rate in the first quarter of 2023). Maintaining growth and development across sub-sectors and fields, making an important contribution to macroeconomic stability, ensuring a great balance of the economy, especially serving increased demand during the Lunar New Year of the Dragon and the Spring Festival season. The disbursement rate of public investment capital is the highest in the country at 21.6%.
Despite achieving good results in the first quarter, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that the industry is still subject to unpredictable impacts of climate change, weather, and epidemics on crops, livestock, and fisheries, which are still complicated. Processed and deeply processed agricultural products are still a problem for the industry. The main export markets are still the US, China, EU…
According to Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien, restructuring the industry must still respect the three product axes: national, regional and local. Through this, it helps create raw material areas associated with processing, promoting multi-value integration in agricultural, forestry and fishery products; shifting from the agricultural supply chain to developing commodity chains.
For more information about selling emission reduction credits from forest development, Mr. Tran Quang Bao – Director of the Forestry Department said: Trading emission reduction credits on the market is an advanced method increasingly used in many countries. implementation, has created a carbon market, also known as a market for exchanging credits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For Vietnam’s forestry, the opportunity to participate in the credit market is large and this will help have more resources for forest protection and development.
Developing the carbon credit market in Vietnam is appropriate. The country’s forest area currently reaches 14.79 million hectares, with the forest coverage rate reaching 42.02%. Economically, the structure of forestry production has shifted towards increasing the added value of the forest production chain, growing steadily at 4.6%/year. Every year, the country plants over 260,000 hectares of forest, the productivity of planted forests provides over 70% of wood materials for forest product processing, serving export and domestic consumption.
The North Central Region Emission Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA) signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank for 6 provinces in the period 2018 – 2024, Vietnam transferred 10.3 million tons of CO2 to the World Bank with a total value of is 51.5 million USD, equivalent to 1,200 billion VND. To date, the Vietnam Forest Protection and Development Fund has received money from the WB and has fully disbursed it so that provinces can urgently make plans to pay forest owners.
Regarding the issue of drought and salinity, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Cuong – Director of the Department of Crop Production said that regarding irrigation water, according to forecasts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, 2024 is the year affected by El Nino, however , the impact of this phenomenon causing salinity and drought in 2023 is lower than the previous year but higher than average compared to previous years. Cultivation is a production channel that is more directly affected by factors such as weather, drought, saltwater intrusion, storms, and hail than other industries.
To be proactive in preventing drought, salinity, and the impact of El Nino on rice production and crop areas in the Mekong Delta, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has planned early planting in coastal areas at risk of drought. Salty, basically done.
