Talk show discusses agriculture’s post-pandemic adaptability

The “Agriculture: A stable pillar amid turbulence” talk show held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on October 28 heard a host of comments on agriculture’s role in the economy.

During the pandemic, the agriculture sector proved its role as a pillar of the economy, thanks to its connectivity with millions of households.

In the current context, the plan for the agriculture sector in the 2021-2025 period is not a re-planning of sectors but a transformation of its growth model and a change in thinking from agricultural production based on the goal of increasing output to one of increasing value, according to Minister Le Minh Hoan.

Over the years, Vietnam has tried to centralize agriculture to support large-scale production. However, because of the pandemic, some agricultural businesses decided to split production into small factories. “We will accept a practice of small but not scattered production,” he said.

Now is the time for the agriculture sector to change its model instead of changing the share of its segments. “We have to integrate multiple values into products, taking agriculture not as a technique or production, not even as an economic sector, but as an industry that integrates economy, culture, and society,” the Minister added.

The talk show also touched on the export outlook of the sector in the closing months of 2021. Minister Hoan believes that the fourth quarter will be the highest growth quarter this year and is positive that the sector’s export value will reach the planned $42.5 billion.

Despite the fact that the pandemic may well break out again in some localities, he also believes that export-related businesses have reason to be confident about their recovery.