Viet Nam’s agricultural sector has recorded steady growth over the past decade, with annual expansion ranging between 2.5% and 3.5%, culminating in a record export value of $62.5 billion in 2024—a near 19% increase from the previous year. The figures, shared by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien at a recent conference on improving quality and efficiency in the sector, underscore the country’s rising prominence as one of the world’s top ten agricultural exporters.
Yet, beneath the success lies a set of persistent challenges. While the sector has made strides in shifting toward processing, green agriculture, and digital transformation, post-harvest losses—particularly in fruits, vegetables, and fisheries—remain stubbornly high. Mechanisation lacks coordination, and most processing enterprises operate on a small scale, struggling with weak linkages and limited competitiveness. The conference, designed as a platform for collaboration among government, scientists, businesses, and farmers, sought to address these gaps by exploring technological solutions to reduce waste, enhance mechanisation, and deepen processing capabilities.
The push for a circular economy emerged as a key theme. Dr. Nguyen Anh Phong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Agricultural Policy and Strategy, highlighted its potential to deliver multi-faceted benefits: reducing waste, conserving resources, lowering production costs, and boosting output value while generating employment. Though circular models have gained traction among enterprises, cooperatives, and farming households, their adoption remains uneven. Large firms lead in by-product reuse, but broader value chain integration has yet to materialise, leaving significant untapped potential.
From an academic perspective, Prof. Dr. Le Van Tan of the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City warned that Viet Nam’s position in global agricultural trade could weaken if it fails to embrace green technology swiftly. He pointed to three critical trends shaping the future: the rise of circular and smart ecosystems, high-tech processing innovations, and cross-disciplinary technological integration to enhance productivity and quality. Without proactive adoption, the sector risks falling behind as international standards and competitor capabilities evolve.
The conference’s afternoon sessions delved into practical solutions, with workshops covering preliminary processing, preservation techniques, agro-forestry-fisheries processing, and biotechnology applications in food and beverages. A parallel exhibition showcased scientific and technological advancements, fostering direct engagement between researchers, businesses, and farmers—a step toward bridging the gap between innovation and on-the-ground implementation.
The discussions reflect a sector at a crossroads. Viet Nam’s agricultural growth is undeniable, but sustaining it requires more than incremental progress. The emphasis on technology, circularity, and collaboration signals recognition that future competitiveness hinges on systemic upgrades—not just in production, but in how the sector manages resources, reduces waste, and integrates into global value chains. For policymakers and industry players, the challenge now lies in translating these insights into scalable action.