Breakthroughs in agriculture attributable to science, technology

According to statistics by the MARD, Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery products have been present in 200 countries and territories, including demanding markets such as the US, the EU and Japan. Of those, the EU is a potential market for a lot of Vietnamese key farm produce, and opportunities have become even bigger since the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) took effect. They include more than 10 groups of commodities with an export turnover of over US$1 billion such as fruits and vegetables, rice, coffee, cashew nuts, peppercorn, wooden furniture, and more.

Science and technology make substantial contributions to Vietnam’s agricultural production

The MARD attributed such achievements to science and technology, which have contributed to over 35 percent of the country’s agricultural production.

During the 2020-2023 period, Vietnamese scientists have created 148 crop varieties and 36 technical advances recognized by the MARD, helping increase productivity and quality to serve domestic consumption and export.

Especially in crop cultivation, the effective application of science and technology has helped boost crop restructuring, improve varieties, thereby raising the productivity and quality of many plants such as orange, tangerine, and pomelo. The expanding use of high-quality rice varieties has also gradually promoted the value of the Vietnamese rice brand in the international market.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said thanks to science and technology application, Vietnam has recorded higher productivity in the farming of some animals and crops compared to other countries in the region and the world. For example, it currently ranks first among ASEAN members in the productivity of unmilled rice (1.5 times higher than that of Thailand), second in the world in coffee (only behind Brazil), and first globally in peppercorn.

Despite the above achievements, Deputy Director of the MARD’s Science, Technology and Environment Department Nguyen Huu Ninh said that science and technology application to agriculture remains small and fragmented. Moreover, the quantity and quality of human resources in this field remain modest. Research units also lack connectivity with businesses.

According to Tran Thi Lan Anh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the country’s agro-forestry-fishery export revenues have been increasing continually, making substantial contributions to total overseas shipments and national economic development. However, she noted, if the reform of processing technology is slow, it will be hard for agricultural products to increase export value and expand markets.

To strengthen the agricultural sector’s export capacity, it is necessary to take comprehensive measures to boost development under value chains and especially, assist agricultural companies to apply science - technology, carry out innovation, and digitize production and processing to meet quality standards, Anh said.