At the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's regular press conference on the morning of February 5th, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported positive results in production and exports from the very first month of the year.

Building on these results, as well as those of 2025, the Ministry will focus on implementing a comprehensive set of solutions to maintain growth momentum, improve quality, efficiency, and sustainability of the industry.

The sector will accelerate restructuring towards ecological and modern agriculture, shifting strongly from a production-oriented mindset to an agricultural economic mindset; strengthening the application of science and technology and digital transformation in management, production, and traceability. Disease prevention and control for crops and livestock will continue to be strictly controlled, ensuring biosafety and stable food supply.

In addition, the Ministry focuses on developing domestic and export markets, diversifying markets and products, effectively exploiting signed free trade agreements; while improving processing quality, reducing post-harvest losses, and increasing added value for agricultural products.

Resource management, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation continue to be identified as overarching tasks. The sector will focus on developing new rural areas in depth, improving people's lives, linking it with building sustainable value chains, and promoting the role of businesses and cooperatives in production organization, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said.

According to Mr. Tran Gia Long, Deputy Director of the Planning and Finance Department ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), in January 2026, agricultural production focused on caring for and harvesting winter crops and preparing for the spring crop; localities in the North proactively prevented and combated severe cold weather. The area planted with winter-spring rice is estimated at 1.94 million hectares; livestock farming continues to recover with pig and poultry herds. Forestry and fisheries maintain relatively strong growth.

In addition, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in January 2026 is estimated at nearly 6.51 billion USD, an increase of 29.5% compared to the same period last year. Agricultural products reached 3.6 billion USD, an increase of 41.8%; aquatic products reached 940 million USD, an increase of 21.5%; and forestry products reached 1.72 billion USD, an increase of 13%. Items showing positive growth include coffee, rubber, tea, rice, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts, and pepper. Asia continues to be the largest export market, accounting for 45.3% of the market share. This is followed by the Americas, Europe, etc.

In 2026, the agriculture and environment sector aims for a growth rate of 3.7-4%, export turnover of 73-74 billion USD; and approximately 15% of communes achieving new rural standards… The sector will also strengthen the management and efficient use of resources, protect the environment, and enhance the capacity to adapt to climate change.

To achieve the above objectives, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is implementing the Action Program to implement Government Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP on the main tasks and solutions for implementing the socio-economic development plan and state budget estimate for 2026; and Government Resolution No. 02/NQ-CP on the main tasks and solutions for improving the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness in 2026.

First and foremost, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is focusing on reviewing and improving institutions, policies, and laws to promptly address difficulties and obstacles in practice. The development and promulgation of legal documents must create a favorable environment for the development of businesses, cooperatives, and the people; while simultaneously continuing to reduce and simplify administrative procedures, especially on a digital platform.

The Ministry continues to streamline its organizational structure and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management. Units with similar functions and tasks are reviewed and merged in a way that is lean, specialized, and reduces overlap. Recent experience shows that the consolidation of research institutes in the fields of animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, and aquaculture has contributed to improving the efficiency of research and technology transfer.

Digital transformation has been identified as a key solution. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is promoting the development of e-government, moving towards digital government throughout the sector. This includes clearly defining the focal point for managing digital transformation, strengthening the exploitation of specialized data, ensuring information security and safety, and improving governance quality.

Another crucial pillar is breakthroughs in science, technology, and innovation. Science and technology should not only serve production but also truly become a driving force for development. The Ministry prioritizes major, strategic scientific tasks linked to the transformation of the growth model, ecological agriculture, the circular economy, and emission reduction. Investing in science and technology is seen as an investment in the long-term future of the sector.

Furthermore, the sector continues to restructure agriculture towards increasing added value, sustainable development, and ensuring food safety and traceability. This restructuring is not only limited to crop production, livestock farming, aquaculture, and forestry, but also encompasses the entire value chain, from production to processing and consumption, adapting flexibly to the requirements of each export market.

Developing markets and promoting the consumption of agricultural products is a comprehensive solution. Specialized units closely link production with the market, strengthen trade promotion, advertise products, and support businesses and cooperatives in expanding domestic and international markets.

Simultaneously, the sector is strengthening resource management, environmental protection, proactively responding to climate change, ensuring water security, and minimizing the impact of natural disasters. Lessons learned from the significant damage caused by storms, floods, and droughts in recent years show that only through proactive adaptation and effective prevention measures can the sector minimize risks and losses.

The action program also emphasizes the goal of increasing income and improving the lives of rural people, considering the people as the central focus and beneficiaries of development achievements. Developing rural infrastructure, building modern agriculture, civilized rural areas, and happy farmers are the overarching directions.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment focuses on developing efficient forms of production and business organization; building an ecosystem of agricultural enterprises and new-style cooperatives; and strengthening disease prevention and control for crops, livestock, and aquatic products to protect production and stabilize the market.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment's 2026 action plan clearly demonstrates a proactive, decisive, and innovative spirit. With a system of specific and synchronized goals, targets, and solutions, the agriculture and environment sector expects to create a solid foundation for a new phase of development, aiming towards ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, and a sustainable environment.

Source: Tin Tuc News