Vietnam agriculture to focus on 10 export products

The ministry will dedicate all its resources and restructuring policies to develop these products, which will have an annual export value of US$1 billion (Bt35 billion), instead of making investments in all agricultural products at the same time, Cuong said at a meeting between his ministry and a working team from the Government Office.
One of the products the ministry will focus on will be brackish-water shrimp. Specific plans for this product will be submitted to the prime minister.
The export value of shrimp is expected to increase from $3 billion at present to between $8 billion and $10 billion between 2025 and 2030, as per the plan. Scaling up will be possible because the country’s coastal areas have seen many changes and have huge potential, Cuong said.
The ministry will work to improve the production of provincial and municipal goods, based on the unique produces of the region, such as the Dong Thap mango, Hung Yen longan, Lang Son custard apple and Hoa Binh orange. This will lay the foundation to promote and develop national products.
Cuong said the government needed to put mechanisms in place to resolve problems, especially those related to policies on capital for enterprises and cooperatives. 

Decree amendment 
To start with, the Planning and Investment Ministry should amend Decree 210 to suit the socio-economic conditions of different regions and the resources available for businesses there. Cuong said his ministry would propose that regulations be amended to permit cooperatives and enterprises to borrow more.
At the meeting, Mai Tien Dung, minister and chairman of the Government Office, quoted the prime minister as saying that restructuring the agricultural sector, especially to attract investments, would be a huge task.
There are many risks and limited support for its development, according to Dung. The sector currently focuses on the export of rice, seafood, coffee and rubber, and has a weak production process and is not competitive.
Cuong said the agricultural sector had restructured itself over the years and was successful in many areas. For instance, he said, the sector’s export value touched $30 billion a year and the export value of 10 key items was pegged at around $1 billion.
Many industries have adopted modern, large-scale production processes to their benefit, he said. For instance, Vietnam has become the largest animal-feed producer in Southeast Asia. The country is also a leading seafood exporter. 
However, many provinces and cities have not focused on restructuring the agricultural sector, which has affected its ability to be competitive and export farm products across the world. Agricultural enterprises also struggle to get funds to improve production and expand.
In the coming months, Cuong said, his ministry would implement seven major items, as per the prime minister’s directives. 
These are sector restructuring; improving quality of disaster forecasts and actively coping with climate change; building new rural areas; upgrading food hygiene and safety; better management of agricultural materials; protecting forests and forestry development; and supporting fishermen, especially in the four central provinces that were affected by the recent toxic sea spill.
Dung said the Government Office would submit the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry’s proposals and reports to the prime minister, and offer positive solutions to overcome the hurdles the sector faces, particularly those related to policies, institutions and state management.
Before December 15, the Government Office will set up an Agricultural Department and an Industrial Department, which will be separate from the Economic Department, to improve the state management of the two sectors, Dung said.