This is the assessment of Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien at the 10th National Farmers' Forum in 2025 - Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association - Minister of Industry and Trade listening to farmers speak with the theme "Connecting the market - Building brands - Promoting agricultural product consumption, contributing to the country's double-digit economic growth" held on October 1.
Agriculture is the "local horse" of the economy
Speaking at the forum, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien assessed that in recent years, our country's economy has faced many difficulties. However, Vietnam still maintains macroeconomic stability and one of the important pillars that create stability is agriculture.
"To achieve this result, the leaders of the Party and State have summarized and assessed that we have been developing based on 3 growth contents: Investment - Consumption - Export" - Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized.
According to Minister Nguyen Hong Dien, in the agricultural sector, the two driving forces for consumption and export have clearly demonstrated their key role. Agriculture not only ensures stable domestic life, but also contributes to increasing export turnover, maintaining a trade surplus, and contributing greatly to foreign exchange reserves. It can be said that agriculture is the "local horse" of the economy in the recent difficult period.
"Looking directly at reality, we must admit that the potential of Vietnam's agriculture is still huge but has not been fully exploited. To achieve higher growth targets, even double-digit growth as we expect, farmers or the agricultural sector alone cannot do it.
In particular, our agricultural sector is performing very well through recent export consumption, without any disruption in domestic supply and contributing to supporting countries in the region, especially countries that have Trade Agreements. In particular, our agriculture is considered a pillar of the economy, agriculture contributes to increasing export turnover, increasing trade surplus with the world" - Minister Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized.
According to the Minister, the role of the Industry and Trade sector is extremely important. If production is a "crop", then the market and trade are the "extended arm" to bring Vietnamese agricultural products further, sell them at higher and more sustainable values.
Vietnam's potential for agricultural exports and consumption is still large
According to statistics, in 2024, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in our country will reach a record of 62.5 billion USD and the data for the first 8 months of 2025 will reach 45.57 billion USD with 10 key groups of products such as rice, coffee, pepper, cashew, shrimp, pangasius, wood and wood products... with a turnover of 1 billion USD or more. Agricultural, forestry and fishery products of our country have been exported to the markets of more than 190 countries and territories.
According to Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Luong Quoc Doan, this result is achieved first of all through the continuous efforts in labor and production of farmers from good production and business movements, patriotic emulation movements, new rural construction, and agricultural economic development. At the same time, it is also the result of the strategy and policy of opening up and developing the agricultural product market continuously of the Industry and Trade sector in recent stages.
However, to achieve the target of agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover of 70 billion USD by the end of this year and 100 billion USD by 2030, there are still many difficulties and challenges.
"Vietnam's potential for agricultural exports and consumption is still large, but access to new markets is still limited, many of our agricultural products are still exported in raw form, without brands, with 80% of products not having their own brands. In addition, the development of the domestic market has not been focused on and exploited effectively" - Mr. Luong Quoc Doan assessed.
