VIETNAM OUTLINES SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AGENDA FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS

Harvesting rice in the southern province of Tay Ninh - PHOTO: LE VU

HCMC – Vietnam’s agriculture sector has set targets of achieving average annual GDP growth of 3.6-4%, increasing export revenue by 10-12% per year, and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 8-9% over the next five years.

The targets form the core of a broader strategy to shift from low-value agricultural production toward higher-value products and build an ecological, green and low-emission agricultural sector with more efficient resource management.

The economic, social and environmental goals are outlined in Decision No. 1806/QD-BNNMT on implementing the Government’s key tasks for the 2026-2031 term in the agriculture and environment sectors, recently issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

In addition to growth and emissions reduction targets, the plan sets a range of social and environmental objectives, including raising rural incomes to 2.5-3 times the 2020 level, increasing wastewater treatment rates in river basins to 65-70%, maintaining forest coverage above 42%, and ensuring that 65% of communes meet new rural development standards by 2030 while promoting sustainable poverty reduction and broader access to clean water.

The implementation plan comes as the 2026-2031 period is identified as the opening stage for carrying out the resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and laying the groundwork for the economy’s longer-term double-digit growth ambitions.

Against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, the ministry outlined an action agenda centered on creating new development conditions, opening new growth space and generating new growth drivers. The strategy aims to restructure the sector through larger and more sustainable raw material zones that are resilient to climate change and capable of delivering multiple forms of value.

To support these goals, the ministry identified institutional reform and legal improvements as strategic breakthroughs. Authorities plan to implement 17 related laws while proactively revising key legislation, including the Land Law, the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Water Resources and the Fisheries Law.

State management is also expected to shift from a pre-approval approach to stronger post-inspection oversight, alongside greater decentralization to reduce compliance costs for businesses and citizens. The plan sets specific targets to improve the business environment, including reducing at least 30% of conditional business lines and cutting administrative processing time and costs by 50%.

Source: The Saigon Times