Hanoi (VNA) – Fifty-one years after national reunification, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has transformed from a food-deficient economy into a major supplier of agricultural products, ensuring domestic food security while contributing to global food supplies.
Record export revenues and leading positions in commodities such as rice, coffee, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts, seafood and forestry products reflect not only economic success but also a shift toward an agricultural economy driven by value creation and market demand.
As Vietnam enters a new development phase, value-chain linkages, private-sector growth and deeper international integration are emerging as key drivers for enhancing the competitiveness and global standing of its agricultural products.
A major shift in production mindset
In 1975, Vietnam’s agricultural sector faced severe difficulty. Rice output stood at 5.49 million tonnes with an average yield of 2.11 tonnes per hectare. Limited food supplies forced the country to import the equivalent of 880,000 tonnes of paddy rice, while agricultural exports generated less than 100 million USD annually.
More than five decades later, Vietnam has become one of the world’s top rice exporters and developed a diversified agricultural sector. Vietnamese products are now present in over 200 countries and territories, including some of the world’s most demanding markets.
Exports of agriculture, forestry and fishery products reached 70.09 billion USD in 2025, and the sector is targeting 73–74 billion USD this year.
These achievements have been supported by institutional reforms and a fundamental shift in development thinking. Agriculture is no longer viewed solely as cultivation and harvesting but as an economic sector where value creation, market orientation and supply-chain development play decisive roles.
Guided by the Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW and the Government’s strategy for sustainable agricultural and rural development, Vietnam is pursuing a modern, ecological and competitive agricultural sector centred on farmers and integrated value creation.
However, fragmented production and weak linkages continue to limit value addition and increase vulnerability to market fluctuations. As a result, restructuring production around value chains has become a key priority.
Lai Chau province offers a notable example. Farmers have gradually shifted from small-scale production to participating in concentrated raw-material zones linked to market demand. The northwestern province has developed commodity production areas covering tea, cinnamon, macadamia, fruit trees and rice, while expanding aquaculture and cold-water fish farming.
It is also promoting the development of Lai Chau ginseng as a strategic product, aiming to expand cultivation and strengthen quality standards and branding.
Expanding markets, strengthening competitiveness
The agricultural sector is expected to gain new momentum from the Politburo’s Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW on private-sector development, which identifies the private sector as an important driver of the economy.
The resolution is expected to encourage greater investment in technology, processing and value-added production, helping enterprises participate more deeply in global value chains.
At the same time, Vietnam is strengthening international cooperation to expand export markets and enhance product value. Agricultural ties with China continue to deepen through improved market access, traceability systems and customs procedures, while cooperation with India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan and other partners is also expanding.
These efforts reflect Vietnam’s ambition not only to export agricultural products but also to secure a stronger position in global supply chains.
After 51 years of development, Vietnam’s agricultural sector has achieved remarkable progress. Moving forward, the focus will increasingly shift from volume-based growth to value-based growth, with value-chain development, private-sector participation, international integration and brand building serving as the foundations for sustainable agricultural development in the years ahead./.
