HANOI: Vietnam’s agricultural sector maintains stable production, robust export growth and a healthy trade surplus.
In the first half of financial year 2026, it reinforced its role as a pillar of the national economy. However, climate change and growing uncertainty in global trade are expected to weigh on growth in the months ahead, making it essential to unlock new drivers for the sector.
Science and technology, digital transformation and green transition are increasingly seen as the keys to accelerating agricultural growth.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dang Ngoc Diep, agricultural, forestry and fishery exports fetched an estimated US$35.88bil in the first six months of 2026, up 6% year-on-year (y-o-y).
The sector’s gross domestic product expanded by more than 3.8%, exceeding the government’s 3.7% target. The results were underpinned by stable production, particularly in the key industries.
During the 2026 winter-spring rice crop, farmers cultivated more than 2.9 million ha, down nearly 38,000ha from a year earlier.
Higher yields, however, rose by 120kg per ha, lifting output to around 20.5 million tonnes, a y-o-y increase of more than 88,000 tonnes.
Livestock and fisheries also remained important contributors to Vietnam’s economic cccccgrowth, with total fishery output reaching nearly five million tonnes, up 3.6% y-o-y, reaffirming their role as a major growth engine.
Supported by stable production, agricultural exports continued to expand.
In the first half of the year, seafood exports reached US$5.7bil, up 11.4%, fruit and vegetables generated US$3.6bil, up 17.7%, while wood and wood products earned US$8.5bil, up 4.4%.
Livestock products recorded the strongest performance, with exports surging 34.6%, the highest among the segments.
Despite continued global economic uncertainty, Vietnam maintained growth in major export markets.
Exports to China rose by 23.1%, while shipments to Japan increased by 1.6%. — Viet Nam News/ANN
