Prime Minister: The agricultural sector must know how to turn 'danger' into 'opportunity'

On the afternoon of December 24, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a national online conference to review the implementation of the 2020 Agricultural and Rural Development Plan and deploy the 2021 plan. Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Prime Minister attended and chaired the conference.

At Nghe An bridge, comrades Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van De - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development chaired.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attends an online conference to review the agriculture and rural development sector in 2020 and deploy plans for 2021. Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

CONTINUE TO AFFIRM AS A BASE OF THE ECONOMY

In 2020, the agricultural sector faced many unprecedented difficulties and challenges, from the Covid-19 pandemic, unusually severe natural disasters, to dangerous epidemics, seriously threatening agricultural production. However, thanks to efforts to overcome difficulties, creativity, and drastic actions with solutions to restructure the sector, the agricultural sector still achieved a growth rate of about 2.65%.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong affirmed that, in the face of difficulties, agriculture continues to affirm itself as the foundation of the economy, striving for sustainable development, deeply participating in global economic integration, and firmly ensuring national food security in all situations.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong affirmed that the entire sector has made efforts to overcome difficulties, be creative, aspire to rise up, innovate the growth model, and unleash investment resources of the whole society. Photo: VGP/Quang Hieu

In 2020, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting agricultural, forestry and fishery export activities, the agricultural sector still made efforts to maintain negotiations, open markets, create conditions and take advantage of opportunities to boost exports. The total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products for the whole year still reached a new record of 41.2 billion USD, up 2.5% compared to 2019.

Restructuring the agricultural sector to be more substantial and effective; production scale and level are improved, shifting strongly to commodity production on the basis of promoting the advantages of each region and area, shifting towards modernization.

In 2020, 17 investment projects in agricultural, forestry and fishery processing, with a total investment of over VND 20,000 billion, were started, inaugurated and put into operation, an increase of 4 projects and about VND 6,000 billion compared to 2019. Thereby, it has created a breakthrough in export processing, helping to improve the quality, design and diversity of agricultural products, contributing to product consumption for farmers.

Nghe An bridge point. Photo: Pham Bang

The National Target Program on New Rural Development continues to develop, increasing both in quantity and quality. Currently, the whole country has 5,506 communes (accounting for 62%) and 173/664 districts (accounting for 26%) meeting new rural standards. There are 12 provinces/cities with 100% of communes meeting new rural standards.

For Nghe An, the agricultural growth rate in 2020 reached 4.99%; forest coverage rate reached 58.5%; 281/411 communes met NTM standards, accounting for 68.37%, of which 2 communes met advanced new rural standards, 1 model new rural commune; 6 district-level units completed their tasks, met NTM standards, accounting for 30%.

In 2021, the agricultural sector set targets for GDP growth rate of about 2.7 - 3%; Growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value of over 2.8 - 3.1%; Export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products of over 42 billion USD; Stable forest coverage rate of 42% and improving forest quality; Rate of communes meeting new rural standards of 70%; At least 200 district-level units meeting standards/completing the task of building new rural areas.

MUST KNOW HOW TO TURN "DANGER" INTO "OPPORTUNITY"

Concluding the Conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucemphasized that in the past year, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and epidemics directly affected agriculture extremely heavily. But 2020 was a year full of courage and comprehensive victory for the agricultural and rural sectors. Agricultural sectoronce again affirms to be the support and salvation of the national economy.

However, the Prime Minister also said that the growth of the agricultural sector is not yet sustainable and is still a concern; supply and demand forecasting is still a weak link; innovation of cooperatives and development of cooperation and production linkage with enterprises along the value chain have not become popular; farmers' income and living standards are still low; deforestation of natural forests is still occurring...

Entering 2021, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc requested the agricultural sector to turn "danger" into "opportunity", remove institutional barriers to move forward; continue to find markets to stabilize output, before raising production issues; continue to implement the "dual goal" of both preventing and fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and focusing on developing production and business.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a concluding speech at the Conference. Photo: Nongnghiep.vn

The Prime Minister also requested that in 2021, the agricultural sector must maintain a growth rate of 3%; the growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value must be over 3%; export turnover must reach 44 billion USD; forest coverage rate must reach 42%, especially improving forest quality; wood and non-wood exports must reach over 20 billion USD; the rate of communes meeting new rural standards must be over 70%.

In particular, the Prime Minister once again launched the planting of 1 billion trees, equivalent to 5 million hectares of forest, and requested that localities have programs and plans to implement this issue. Because forests are a very important issue for the country.

The head of the Government requested the agricultural sector to continue improving the quality and efficiency of the agricultural sector's structure, linking innovation in the growth model, and shifting thinking from agricultural production to agricultural economics. Focus on investing in building agricultural infrastructure, ensuring large-scale commodity agricultural production, and proactively preventing natural disasters.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and Comrade Nguyen Van De - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development chaired the Nghe An bridge. Photo: Pham Bang

Besides, the agricultural sector needs to promote research and transfer of science and technology, including strong application of high technology and digital technology in all stages of the value chain, forming smart agricultural production, effectively using resources, liberating labor, improving productivity, quality and value.

Improve the efficiency of the collective economy, attract more businesses to invest in agriculture, improve quality to dominate the domestic market, bring rural goods to urban areas. In particular, the Prime Minister strictly prohibits the act of cutting down, transporting and consuming trees from the forest for Tet decoration.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also requested to closely monitor weather and natural disaster developments, proactively prevent and respond promptly. New rural construction must be more focused, and capital allocation must be considered to implement the New Rural Development target program for the 2021-2025 period.

High-tech agricultural model in Dien Hai commune (Dien Chau). Photo: Quang An

The Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnamese agriculture, rural areas, and farmers have a tradition of overcoming difficulties in the resistance war and in building the country. Therefore, we believe that we will build a country with modern agriculture, sustainable development, large-scale commodity production, high productivity and quality, and high competitiveness. Farmers will become increasingly richer, and the countryside will become more civilized, prosperous, friendly, and worth living.