The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's year-end press conference. Photo: VGP

At Friday’s press conference in Hanoi, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said in 2023 agriculture continued to affirm its important position as the pillar of the economy. The export of rice and vegetables reached a record level, bringing the total export turnover of agriculture, forestry and fishery products to 53 billion USD.

Agriculture's trade surplus reached a record high of 12 billion USD, an increase of 43.7 billion USD compared to last year and accounting for over 42.5% of the country's trade surplus. Six agricultural products posted an export turnover of over 3 billion USD each.

Next year many challenges are predicted, such as high prices of raw material, floods and rains, the El Nino weather phenomenon, world conflicts and instability. But the agricultural sector still targets an industry-wide growth rate of 3% to 3.5%, with a total export turnover of 54-55 billion USD, focusing on rice, fruits, forestry, fisheries, and livestock.

Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development, said, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development identified key markets and key solutions. After China reopened on January 8 this year, the Ministry organized conferences and fairs to expand the market. Therefore, the Chinese market has compensated for other markets. These are experiences for the agricultural sector to focus on developing the market next year."