Impressive achievements According to Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the agriculture sector faced many difficulties and challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which directly affected production and export, import and consumption of agricultural products. The combined efforts of the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, localities, the business community and farmers helped the agriculture and rural development sector realize dual goals, both increasing growth and effectively combating the pandemic. As a result, the sector’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 2.65 percent, total export turnover reached US$41.25 billion, over 62 percent of communes achieved the status of new-style rural communes, forest coverage rate reached 42 percent, rural residents’ annual income reached VND43 million per capita. In terms of cultivation, the crop structure was converted more efficiently by promoting intensive farming and application of advanced science and technology, especially for key crops, and controlling and increasing the use of new and high quality seed varieties. Rice production output reached 42.7 million tonnes, not only fully meeting the demand for domestic consumption but also meeting the needs of processing for animal feed and export. In particular, high-quality rice accounted for over 85 percent of exported rice, raising the average export price from US$440 per tonne in 2019 to US$496 in 2020. The year 2020 saw a restructuring of the agricultural sector, improved production scale and level and a strong shift to commodity production on the basis of each region’s advantages. Notably, the consumption market for agricultural, forestry and fishery products continued to develop, and the domestic market was expanded significantly. Nine commodity groups maintained an export turnover of over US$1 billion, with five recording a turnover of over US$3 billion, including timber and wood products, …
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