Seafood and forestry production growth fuel Vietnam's agriculture

Vietnam's agricultural production continued to grow in the first eight months of 2024. Notably, harvested seafood production increased by 2.6%, and newly planted forest area expanded by 3.3% compared to the same period last year.

According to the General Statistics Office, as of August 20, the entire country harvested 1.17 million hectares of summer-autumn rice, with the Mekong Delta region accounting for the majority of the harvested area at approximately 968,000 hectares.

The estimated seafood harvest in August reached 862,300 tons, a 2.5% increase compared to the same period last year. This included 561,000 tons of fish (up 2.4%); 176,300 tons of shrimp (up 2.7%); and 125,000 tons of other seafood varieties (up 2.6%).

In the first eight months of 2024, seafood production is estimated to have exceeded six million tons, representing a 2.6% year-on-year increase. This includes 4.3 million tons of fish, 877,000 tons of shrimp, and 892,000 tons of other seafood varieties.

Regarding forestry production, the General Statistics Office reported that the newly planted forest area nationwide in August was estimated at 20,800 hectares, down 5.2% year on year. However, for the January-August period, the country saw a year-on-year increase of 3.3% in newly planted forest area nationwide, reaching 164,200 hectares.

During the January-August period, the entire country experienced forest damage on 1,386 hectares, a 6.6% decrease compared to the same period last year.