Agriculture sector making all-out effort to complete growth target: Minister

The husbandry sector posts strong growth in the first half of this year. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will make major efforts to reach the 2020 growth target of 2.5-3 percent, with total agro-forestry-fishery export value to be about 41 billion USD, Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said on June 29.

Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi to review the sector’s performance in the first half and implement tasks for the second, Cuong said the ministry will work to minimise the adverse impact of unfavourable weather patterns, especially during the stormy season in the closing months of the year.

Geographical strength should be optimised to develop the domestic market and export opportunities to be generated after the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control brought into full play, he said.

He also called for resolve in the entire sector in regard to agriculture restructuring and the involvement of the Government, ministries, agencies, businesses, and the people.

Joint efforts are needed to deal with the impact of COVID-19 and plant and animal diseases, he emphasised.

He said that, over the past six months, the sector’s GDP grew by just over 1 percent, given challenges such as COVID-19, natural disasters, and plant and animal diseases.

Export value exceeded 18.8 billion USD during the period, he said, noting that food security was ensured despite the above difficulties.

Rice output was estimated at 22.4 million tonnes, meeting both domestic and export demand, with about 3.5 million tonnes shipped abroad, up 4.4 percent year-on-year.

Output of other crops such as coffee, pepper, cashew nuts, and tea also increased from 2.5-15 percent, and that of major fruit like mango, banana, dragon fruit, orange, and lychee also expanded from 4-20 percent.

The husbandry sector posted strong growth, especially cattle and poultry, which rose 3.4 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. Only 2.58 million tonnes of meat of all kinds were produced, however, down 25 percent year-on-year.

Though seafood output increased during the first half, exports fell, especially tra fish.

Tran Dinh Luan, head of the Directorate of Fisheries, said the sector will make all-out efforts to complete its output target of 8.5 million tonnes while making preparations for a visit by the European Commission’s inspection team, which may come at any time, regarding the illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing issue./.