Decision No. 255/QD-TTg 2021 the Plan on restructuring of agriculture in 2021-2025

DECISION

Approving the Plan on restructuring of agriculture in the 2021-2025 period^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government; and the November 22, 2019 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of the Government and Law on Organization of Local Administration;

Pursuant to the Political Bureau’s Conclusion No. 54-KL/TW of August 7, 2019, on further implementation of the Resolution of the 7^th Plenum of the X^th National Party Congress regarding agriculture, peasants and rural areas;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 357/QD-TTg of March 10, 2020, promulgating the Plan on implementation of the Political Bureau’s Conclusion No. 54-KL/TW of August 7, 2019, on further implementation of the Resolution of the 7^th Plenum of the X^th National Party Congress regarding agriculture, peasants and rural areas;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP of January 1, 2020, on major tasks and solutions to implement the 2020 socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates;

At the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To promulgate together with this Decision the Plan on restructuring of agriculture in the 2021-2025 period.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, and heads of related agencies shall implement this Decision.

Prime Minister
NGUYEN XUAN PHUC

PLAN

On restructuring of agriculture in the 2021-2025 period

(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 255/QD-TTg
of February 25, 2021)

In furtherance of the Political Bureau’s Conclusion No. 54-KL/TW of August 7, 2019, on further implementation of the Resolution of the 7^th Plenum of the X^th National Party Congress regarding agriculture, peasants and rural areas, and the Government’s Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP of January 1, 2020, on major tasks and solutions to implement the 2020 socio-economic development plan and state budget estimates, the Prime Minister promulgates the Plan on restructuring of agriculture in the 2021-2025 period with the following contents:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives

To continue restructuring agriculture  in the direction of developing sustainable agriculture and raising the quality, added value and competitiveness of agricultural products; protecting the environment and ecology; increasing incomes of rural inhabitants; and ensuring food security as well as national defense and security. To step up the development of a modern, clean and organic agriculture in association with development of the agro-processing industry, adaptation to climate change and sustainable linkage with the global value chain of agricultural products.

2. Specific objectives to be achieved by 2025

- The added-value growth rate of agriculture will reach 2.5-3% per year on average. The labor productivity growth rate in agro-forestry-fisheries (below referred to as agriculture) will be 7-8% on average.

- The proportion of value of agro-forestry-fisheries products (below  referred to as agricultural products) produced in the forms of cooperation and linkage will surpass 30%; the proportion of value of agricultural products turned out according to good manufacturing practices or equivalent standards will exceed 25%; the proportion of value of hi-tech agricultural products will be over 20%; the added-value growth rate of the agro-processing industry will be more than 8% per year; the total agricultural land area used for organic production will account for 1.5-2% of the total agricultural land area; the export turnover growth rate of agricultural products will reach around 5% per year.

- The proportion of agricultural labor to the total social workforce will be reduced to about 25%; the rate of trained agricultural labor will surpass 55%; more than 80% of agricultural cooperatives will effectively operate; incomes of rural inhabitants will increase by at least 1.5 times against the 2020’s figure.

- The proportion of organic fertilizer products to the total fertilizer products produced and sold will exceed 15%; the rate of biological pesticides on the list of pesticides permitted for use will be over 30%; the forest coverage rate will be maintained at 42% while the quality of forests will be improved.

II. TASKS TO 2025

1. To carry out agricultural restructuring based on 3 groups of products

a/ Group of national key products

To intensify investment in and development of these products toward centralized, large-scale commodity production associated with the agro-processing industry in the form of sustainable value chain linkage. To invest resources first of all in synchronous mechanization, science and technology application, building of value chains in association with product quality management, food safety and traceability systems, and development of national brands. To increase region- and sector-based connectivity for development of national key products; to step up international cooperation, trade promotion and market development activities with a view to removing trade barriers and boosting export.

Orientations for development of the group of national key products:

- Paddy: To raise use efficiency of paddy land and keep the total paddy land area stable at 3.4-3.5 million hectares; the total cultivated land area will be 7.2-7.3 million hectares with the yield of around 42 million tons of rice per year to meet the domestic demand and to export 4-5 million tons of rice per year. To increase the proportion of land area under high-quality paddy to the total paddy area to 70-75%, and the rate of use of certified rice seeds to around 90%. To promote the production of organic rice and diversify rice products and byproducts (straw, rice husk, bran) in order to increase their added value. To develop key rice production zones in the Mekong River delta and Red River delta regions.

- Coffee: To reduce the total coffee area to 670,000 hectares with the yield of 1.8-1.9 million tons per year; to develop key coffee production zones in the Central Highlands and Southeastern regions. To step up re-farming and regeneration of stunted coffee plantations; to use all high-yield and high-quality coffee varieties; and intercrop industrial trees and perennial fruit trees with coffee plantations in re-farming areas when conditions permit. To increase investment in in-depth processing of coffee products in order to raise the quality of coffee products for export and domestic consumption.

- Rubber: To continue reducing land areas under rubber trees in inappropriate localities and maintain it at around 900,000 hectares with the annual output of 1.3-1.4 million tons, mainly in the Southeastern and Central Highlands regions. To step up re-farming in rubber plantations which can no longer be exploited and intensive farming in existing rubber plantations for raising yield and quality. To improve the quality management system for natural rubber products preliminarily processed in Vietnam.

- Cashew: To maintain and stably develop land areas under cashew trees of around 300,000 hectares with the annual output of unprocessed cashew nuts reaching about 360,000 tons, mainly in the Southeastern and Central Highlands regions. To promote the research, selection, breeding and production of new cashew varieties serving re-farming and replacement of stunted, mixed, low-yield and low-quality cashew plantations.

- Pepper: To develop the total land area under pepper trees to 100,000-120,000 hectares with the annual output of about 250,000 tons, mainly in the Southeastern and Central Highlands regions. To increase the area of interwovenly planted pepper trees and reduce the area with only pepper trees planted in order to reduce pest-related risks. To build centralized, safe and quality pepper production areas associated with investment in processing facilities.

- Tea: To continue to maintain the total land area under tea plantations of 120,000-125,000 hectares with the annual output of 1.2 million tons, mainly in the Northern mountainous and Central Highlands regions. To increase the area capable of producing high-quality tea products to around 30% and the area producing tea products certified as meeting food safety requirements to 55%. To strictly control the quality of input supplies (varieties, fertilizers, pesticides). To intensify the application of advanced technical processes in tea planting. To build safe tea production processes and apply integrated pest management practices for tea plantations.

- Fruit trees: To increase the total land area under orchards nationwide to around 1.2 million hectares with the annual output of 14 million tons. To focus on developing key fruit production zones in the Northern mountainous, Red River delta, Central Highlands, Southeastern, and Mekong river delta regions. To increase region-based connectivity and dispersion of harvests. To strongly develop fruit production zones together with developing fruit processing plants.

- Vegetables: To increase the total land area for vegetable cultivation to around 1.1 million hectares with the annual output of 21 million tons. To step up the development of vegetable production zones and apply high technologies and good and organic manufacturing practices ensuring food safety in association with processing plants.

- Cassava: To maintain the total land area under cassava at around 500,000 hectares with the annual output of 10-11 million tons, mainly in the Northern mountainous, South Central Coast, Central Highlands, and Southeastern regions. To intensify the application of technical advances in selection of cassava varieties and sustainable farming processes. To intensify mechanization, increase economic efficiency and protect the eco-environment. To develop processing technologies and diversify cassava products to serve starch processing, animal feed and biofuel production.

- Pork: To develop pig farming with hyper-intensive breeds in industrial-scale farms. To increase herds of farmed pigs to produce more organic pork meeting biosafety standards; to develop breeds of indigenous pigs of high economic value. There will be a total of 28-28.5 million pigs, including 2.8-2.9 million sows; and the rate of pigs raised in farms or on an industrial scale will be over 50%. To develop hi-tech systems for herd management and modern industrial slaughterhouses ensuring epidemic and food safety associated with centralized farming zones.

- Poultry meat and eggs: To develop poultry raising in farms or on an industrial scale, of which 45-50% of chicken and 25-30% of aquatic birds will be raised on an industrial scale. To invest in raising and improve quality of breeds of poultry, and develop indigenous poultry breeds of high economic value. The annual output of live-weight poultry meat will reach 1.9-2 million tons and there will be 18-19 billion eggs.

- Tra catfish: To develop sustainable Tra catfish farming with the total water area and output increased to meet the market demand. To maintain the farming area at 5,500-6,000 hectares with the annual output of around 1.6 million tons. To intensify in-depth processing of Tra catfish products and diversify processed products, especially products with high added value.

- Shrimp: To develop the shrimp industry on a large scale and with application of high technologies and bio-safe processes. The total water area for brackish-water shrimp farming will be around 660,000 hectares with the annual output of some 950,000 tons. To intensify in-depth processing and diversify products to meet domestic consumption and export demands.

- Timber, timber products and non-timber forest products: To focus on development of large timber forests and non-timber forest products that can basically meet the demand for materials of the timber processing industry and forest products. The output of timber materials will reach around 45 million cubic meters. To develop industrial parks for hi-tech timber and forest product processing close to centralized afforestation zones. To develop non-timber forest products, focusing on groups of advantageous products like rattan and bamboo products, pharmaceuticals, resin oils, and food products.

b/ Group of provincial-level key products

Localities shall base themselves on their advantages, conditions and market demands to adopt mechanisms and policies for, and invest their resources first of all in, development of provincial-level key agricultural products. To boost production according to good manufacturing practices and the equivalent up to relevant standards or technical regulations on food safety and environmental protection; to intensify processing of diversified products and develop products with geographical indications and traceability.

For provincial-level key products that can be developed on a large scale, to increase connectivity among localities for creating centralized commodity production zones and apply mechanization associated with development of the agro-processing industry; to adopt policies and solutions and reserve resources for increasing the scale, quality and brands of products to be added to the group of national key products when required conditions are satisfied.

c/ Group of local specialty products

To focus on implementation of mechanisms, policies and solutions for raising the quality of products and production organization capacity and step by step getting sustainable market access based on value chains associated with the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) program; to prioritize the development of advantageous products with a view to bringing into play the identity and inspiring the potential, creativity and pride of local people, promoting organization and ensuring the value of communities in development of OCOP products in parallel with building a new-style countryside, especially development of community-based tourism models in rural areas.

To improve products according to relevant standards or technical regulations with their packaging and labels enabling traceability and bearing local brands and trademarks; to intensify the application of digital technologies in product management and trade for step by step developing OCOP Vietnam brands on the domestic market and export markets.

2. Restructuring sector-based production

a/ Crop production

To restructure the crop production toward reducing the proportion of food crop production value to around 35%, quick-maturing industrial plants, around 2.1%, and perennial industrial trees, around 14.5%, while increasing the rate of fruit trees to 21% and that of vegetables to 17% in order to meet the consumption demand and contribute to ensuring national food security in the new situation.

To manage and efficiently use land areas exclusively reserved for paddy while flexibly shifting between field crops. To develop organic and ecological agriculture to meet the market demand and serve tourism.

The production value growth rate will be 2-2.2% per year on average and the average added value rate will be 1.8-2% per year; by 2025, the value of harvested products per hectare of agricultural land will reach about VND 120 million.

b/ Livestock production

To restructure herds of domestic animals toward reducing the proportion of pig herds and increasing the proportion of poultry flocks and grazing livestock. By 2025, the output of assorted meat products will reach 5-5.5 million tons, with pork accounting for 63-65%, poultry meat, 26-28%, and grazing livestock meat, 8-10%; the rate of livestock and poultry to be slaughtered on an industrial scale will be about 60% and 40%, respectively; and the rate of processed livestock and poultry meat will account for 25-30% of the total meat output.

The production value growth rate will be 4-5% per year on average with the average added value rate of 3.5-4.5% per year. To develop livestock production on an industrial scale with the application of high technologies and circular livestock production both in farms and professional farming households, ensuring biosafety, epidemic safety and eco-friendliness.

c/ Fisheries

To develop aquaculture and ensure effective and sustainable fishing, protection of the eco-environment, conformity with international integration requirements, and safeguarding of national defense and security in maritime zones and on islands. To promote offshore aquaculture, focusing on aquatic breeds that can bring about high economic value; to develop organic aquaculture. To increase effective and sustainable offshore fishing on the basis of reserves of aquatic resources; to build fishing vessels of a rational structure and gear codes, determine and allocate catchable quotas as suitable to reality and catchable capacity of aquatic resources. To reorganize inshore, coastal and domestic fishing activities in a rational manner, combining development of the livelihood of the fishermen community with aquaculture and eco-tourism.

The production value growth rate will be 3.5-4% per year on average with the average added value rate of 3.3-3.8% per year. To restructure production toward increasing the proportion of farmed products to around 60% and reducing that of catches to around 40%.

d/ Forestry

To protect and sustainably develop existing forest areas. To effectively promote forests’ functions of protection against natural disasters and protection of the eco-environment and biodiversity, thus contributing to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. To further intensify the management and protection of natural forests; to study and formulate mechanisms permitting combined utilization of economic value of forests for poverty reduction and socio-economic development in localities having forests. To develop forest-based economy in a sustainable manner. To change the growth model, shifting from being based on increase of area and volume to focusing on raising yield, quality and added value of forest products. To develop combined agriculture, forestry and non-timber forest products; urban forestry, landscapes and forest-based sustainable tourism models. To effectively implement the policy on payment for forest environment charges.

The production value growth rate will be 5-5.5% per year on average with the average added value rate of 4.5-5% per year. The land area under large timber forests will account for around 30% of the total area of newly planted forests; the yield of planted forests will reach 20m³/ha/year on average. The area under production forests with sustainable forest management certificates will be around 0.5 million hectares.

dd/ Salt making

To renovate, upgrade and modernize infrastructure facilities and apply technical advances for increasing output of industrial salt and clean salt; to establish key zones for industrial-scale salt production in the South Central provinces; to reduce the area for manual and low-efficient salt production; to use areas previously reserved for low-efficient salt production for other sectors that can bring about higher economic efficiency. To attach importance to producing and processing salt containing natural minerals and micronutrients with a low content of NaCl and being beneficial to human health. The total area for salt production will be maintained at around 14,500 hectares with the annual output of 1.5 million tons and the area for industrial-scale salt production reaching about 4,805 hectares.

3. Restructuring region-based agricultural production

To strengthen regional connectivity in development of sustainable agricultural production among localities with a view to tapping the potential and advantages of each region and locality, specifically as follows:

a/ In the Northern midland and mountainous region

To develop production zones for main crops with advantages like fruit trees, tea, medicinal plants, specialty paddy, maize, cassava, vegetables, and flowers; to develop specialty products associated with eco-tourism. To promote the development of livestock production, paying special attention to farming of grazing livestock (buffalos, cows, goats, horses) together with grass-growing zones, pigs, and poultry; to improve breeds and develop specialty, indigenous domestic animals with high economic value. To protect and develop natural forests, protection forests and special-use forests for maintaining water sources and protecting soil, especially in areas highly prone to erosion. To develop production planted forests for producing non-timber forest products on a large scale in combination with development of the timber and forest product-processing industry. To develop farming of such coldwater fish as salmon and sturgeon and traditional fish; to develop aquaculture in irrigation reservoirs, hydropower reservoirs and riverside waters in tandem with conservation and development of precious and rare resources.

b/ In the Red River delta region

To develop intensive and hi-tech production; to expand the area under high-quality paddy; to develop vegetables, flowers, bonsai and fruit trees; to review and shift to use low-efficient paddy areas for growing more appropriate plants, livestock production and aquaculture that can bring about higher economic efficiency. To develop hi-tech production of livestock, particularly pigs, poultry and cows; to make intensive investment in building a number of establishments producing and trading in quality breeds of high economic value. To strictly protect, and raise the quality of, special-use forests, urban protection forests, and coastal protection forests, etc. To intensify planting of dispersed trees and embellishment of landscapes, and partly satisfy demands for household timber products. To develop rearing of ocean fish, shrimps and mollusks (oysters, barnacles, snout otter clams, peanut worms, abalones, and pearls), and seaweeds in coastal areas; to farm freshwater aquatic species (tilapias and other traditional fish). To restructure and effectively develop fishing gear codes in association with fishing grounds in the Tonkin Gulf and bay-mouth areas.

c/ In the North Central region

To restructure crops in order to avoid adverse impacts of natural disasters; to form production zones for citrus trees, groundnut and sugarcane, and develop specialty agricultural products and medicinal plants in association with geographical indications of regional localities. To develop farming of milch cows, pigs and poultry with the application of high technologies and closed value chains. To develop planting of material forests with sustainable forest management certificates; to associate exploitation with in-depth processing of timber products and non-timber forest products. To protect, and improve the quality of, watershed protection forests and coastal forests for preventing sand, wave and erosion; to conserve biodiversity in these forests. To develop brackish-water aquaculture in river-mouth and coastal areas; to carry out intensive, hi-tech and bio-safe aquaculture in coastal sandy land areas; to develop seawater and freshwater aquaculture in irrigation and hydropower reservoirs, with such main species as shrimps, mollusks, sea fish, seaweeds, groupers, cobia fish, red snappers, and butterfish, etc. To rationally organize inshore and coastal fishing activities and restructure fishing vessels, fishing gear codes and labor to suit natural conditions and aquatic resources.

d/ In the South Central Coast region

To plant more drought-resistant trees and fruit trees of the region (grapefruit, pitaya, mango, apple, and water melon). To establish zones for production of high-quality paddy varieties to meet the market demand. To develop farming of grazing livestock (meat cows, goats, sheep), pigs and chicken in appropriate areas, based on potential and advantages of the regional localities; to develop edible-net swiftlet farming in some localities with advantages with a view to turning out specialty products of high economic value. To establish zones for planting material forests in association with the country’s timber processing industry; to take advantage of seaports and convenient traffic conditions for developing the export timber-processing industry; to protect and develop coastal protection forests; to develop eco-tourism and cultural-historical tourism models. To develop brackish-water aquaculture in river-mouth and coastal areas and farming of shrimps on land and in zones exclusively for shrimp breeding. To rationally organize inshore and offshore fishing activities, especially ocean tuna fishing and purse seine fishing; to restructure fishing vessels, fishing gear codes and labor to suit natural conditions and aquatic resources.

dd/ In the Central Highlands region

To develop zones for intensive growing of industrial trees, mainly coffee, pepper, rubber and tea; to establish hi-tech agricultural zones for flowers, vegetables and fruit trees. To develop the raising of pigs, chicken and cows in large-scale farms with closed value chains and hi-tech application; to intensify organic livestock production. To protect watershed protection forests, maintain biodiversity, protect water sources, and prevent and control natural disasters; to develop intensive afforestation and non-timber forest products (such as Ngoc Linh ginseng, macadamia, etc.). To develop aquaculture in reservoirs and river and stream basins with traditional breeds of fish, freshwater shrimps and coldwater fish that can bring about high economic value.

e/ In the Southeastern region

To strongly develop advantageous industrial trees, including rubber, cashew, pepper, coffee, sugar cane, cassava and fruit trees with application of high technologies, in combination with eco-tourism. To develop industrial-scale high-yield pig farming and facilitate organic pig farming; to improve raising of high-quality milch cows to provide materials for processing industries. To develop modern timber and forest product processing and maintain the region as an export timber-processing center of the whole country. To develop forestry in association with eco-tourism, urban forestry and environmental landscaping. To develop such key aquatic breeds as seafish, black tiger shrimps, white-leg shrimps, mollusks, tilapia, catfish, ornamental fish, etc. To upgrade the fleet of offshore fishing vessels; to restructure fishing boats and gear codes as appropriate.

g/ In the Mekong River delta region

To develop concentrated, large-scale and high-quality fruit tree zones and zones under vegetables and crops of high economic efficiency in high-terrain areas and fertile river islets, and reclaim inefficient land areas affected by saltwater intrusion. To develop intensive large-scale production of high-quality commodity paddy in upper delta and middle delta areas. For areas affected by saltwater intrusion or lacking freshwater, to shift to growing of salt-tolerant trees or aquaculture. To develop aquatic birds being advantageous domestic animals of the region, particularly sea ducks, beef cattle, and domestic animals with high economic value like bee and edible-nest swiftlets. To protect and restore coastal wave-shielding protection forests; to restore and develop submerged forest ecosystems and conserve their biodiversity; to combine forestry production with aquaculture and eco-tourism development. To strongly develop intensive hi-tech aquaculture associated with eco-environment protection; to form the country’s largest zone for aquaculture associated with deep processing and diversification of products with key products being Tra catfish and shrimps; to diversify aquatic breeds for seawater, brackish water and freshwater aquaculture; to develop aquaculture on the sea and in island-surrounding areas and carry out eco-aquaculture in submerged forests. To reduce fishing vessels in inshore and coastal waters; to change the structure of fishing vessels and gear codes as appropriate.

III. IMPLEMENTATION SOLUTIONS

1. To further renew and improve mechanisms and policies and mobilize resources

To improve land policies and laws toward protecting, and raising the use efficiency of, agricultural land and facilitating the concentration, accumulation and flexible use of agricultural land in order to organize agricultural production meeting the market demand and ensuring adaptation to climate change.

To scrutinize and supplement credit policies for agricultural and rural development to suit practical conditions; to increase accessibility to funding sources; to formulate mechanisms for mixing and mobilizing ODA and FDI resources and funds from different economic sectors for agricultural and rural development. To develop the agricultural insurance system for limiting risks in agricultural production and business activities.

To formulate and implement mechanisms and policies for supporting and promoting innovation and startup activities in the field of agriculture and rural development; to provide support for access to scientific, technical and market information; to support research, transfer and application of technical advances.

2. To raise the level of science and technology research, transfer and application; to step up the application of high technology, digital technology and information technology in all stages of the value chain in synchronous connection with other sectors and fields to form a smart agricultural production system, efficiently use resources and labor, increase the added value and competitiveness, and ensure sustainable development of the agricultural sector. To adopt mechanisms and policies for stepping up the mobilization of social resources for scientific and technological research and transfer of technical advances to agricultural production and business in conformity with the market mechanism. To develop the agricultural technology market on the basis of ensuring intellectual property rights.

3. To raise the operation efficiency of forms of production organization as well as capacity and role of farmers’ cooperation organizations in organizing chain-based production from provision of input services, preservation and processing of agricultural products and market access. To intensify cooperation and enhance connectivity in production and sale of agricultural products in connection with the global supply chain. To develop agricultural enterprises and forms of cooperation and linkage in production and sale of agricultural products in the value chain, in which enterprises play the core and leading role; to include science, technology, administration and digital economy in the value chain.

4. To modernize agricultural and rural infrastructure and commercial infrastructure facilities in rural areas, ensuring better regional connectivity and meeting requirements of the sustainable and modern agricultural production system with a large scale of commodity production, ensuring international integration and climate change adaptation

To develop the hydraulic work system to ensure sufficient supply of water for land areas under 2 crops of paddy and land areas for terrestrial trees of high economic efficiency, and for industrial-scale intensive aquaculture applying high technologies; to invest resources first of all in building large multiple-purpose hydraulic structures; to increase investment in building hydraulic structures to serve geographical areas lacking water, and apply advanced water-efficient irrigation solutions. To focus investment in developing fish ports in combination with anchorage areas for fishing vessels, with a view to increasing investment efficiency, especially in areas adjacent to fishing grounds in marine areas frequently affected by storms and mitigating damage caused by natural disasters. To invest in building synchronous and modern infrastructure facilities for disaster prevention and control which are disaster-resilient and capable of minimizing casualties and damage caused to production by natural disasters, with priority given to consolidating and upgrading river and sea dikes and preventing riverside and coastal landslides. To formulate and implement incentive policies for attracting enterprises’ investment in development of commercial infrastructure facilities in rural areas.

5. To promote mechanization of agriculture and the agro-processing industry; to develop supporting industries and logistic services

To promote mechanization in all stages of production, preservation and processing of agricultural products as suitable to conditions of different regions, plants and domestic animals. To develop organizations providing mechanization services for agriculture and supporting industries and training human resources to meet the demand for development of large-scale commodity production in agriculture.

To develop the agro-processing industry together with developing completely mechanized material production zones to meet the demand and capacity of the market. To intensify the application of scientific and technical advances, environment-friendly high technologies, and modern quality management systems in the preservation and processing of agricultural products. To diversify processed products and increase the ratio of products deeply processed, refined and processed with high technologies; to increase products processed from by-products of agricultural production and their added value; to ensure quality control, food safety and product traceability to meet requirements of outlet markets and protect the environment.

To develop supporting industries and logistic services for agriculture. To formulate and implement mechanisms and policies to promote the development of mechanical engineering, chemical and biological technologies serving agricultural protection and agro-forestry-fisheries processing; to attract investment in developing logistic infrastructure facilities, especially those for transportation, and warehouses and storing yards for production, preservation and processing of agricultural products. To develop industrial complexes and services in support of development of agricultural production and business activities in agricultural production zones with a view to raising economic and commercial values of agricultural commodities.

6. To apply synchronous and drastic solutions to ensure food quality and safety. To review and improve national standards and technical regulations on quality management of agricultural products and supplies as well as technical processes for production in conformity with regional and international standards and technical regulations so as to build technical barriers in conformity with international commitments which Vietnam has signed, thereby facilitating the expansion of export markets for agricultural products. To develop epidemic-free and bio-safe zones for crop production and livestock production, especially in key commodity production areas and areas for production of materials for processing industries. To consolidate systems for cross-border control of pests and epidemics and spreading of pests and epidemics among regions and localities. To encourage multidisciplinary approach in epidemic prevention and control.

7. To renovate, and raise the quality of, training of human resources for the agricultural sector, focusing on the training of high-quality human resources to serve agricultural industrialization and modernization; to prioritize the training of human resources with high professional qualifications who are capable of applying modern technologies to create breakthroughs in variety/breed research, selection, creation and production, genetic technology, and hi-tech agriculture in order to promptly deal with problems and challenges posed by climate change, drought, saltwater intrusion, sea level rise and epidemics. To provide vocational training for agricultural and rural workers to meet demands of the market, enterprises and cooperatives, and requirements of the economic restructuring in rural areas. To raise quality of managerial personnel of the agriculture sector to be professionally qualified, efficient and effective.

8. To build capacity for international integration; to properly tap market potential from signed free trade agreements and international commitments

To reorganize the domestic market to suit the development trend of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, creating a momentum for promoting production development. To develop the retail system;  to build as soon as possible national and provincial key agricultural product and local specialty product brands in association with geographical indications which are of high quality and environment-friendly, ensuring food safety.

To increase research capacity and enhance quality control according to international and regional standards, and apply information technology in the collection of information and forecast and analysis of domestic and international markets for agricultural products; to vigorously develop e-commerce in agricultural production and business activities. To connect Vietnam’s market for agricultural products with the global supply chain for agricultural products; to effectively implement signed free trade agreements.

9. To protect natural resources and environment in rural areas, and raise climate change adaptability and natural disaster prevention and control capacity

To intensify propagandization and mobilization activities and raise public awareness about environmental protection in rural areas. To formulate and implement policies on mobilization of social resources for environmental protection and remediation of environmental pollution in rural areas, especially in craft villages; to invest in inter-commune, inter-district and inter-provincial garbage treatment facilities for collection, transportation and treatment of wastewater and solid wastes up to environmental protection requirements. To step up the application of measures for economical use of water and agricultural supplies and reduction of greenhouse gas emission; to ensure coordination in proper management of water sources in river basins and hydraulic-work systems for facilitating rational and economical exploitation and use of water sources to effectively serve immediate and long-term socio-economic development.

IV. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

To take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, sectors and localities in, organizing the implementation of this Plan; to assign specific tasks to its attached agencies and units and provide guidance to localities for implementation.

Based on the set of criteria for supervision and evaluation provided in Appendix II to this Decision and the practical conditions in each region and locality, to coordinate with the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and localities in promulgating, and organizing the implementation of, detailed criteria for supervision and evaluation for each region; to regularly urge and evaluate the implementation of this Plan based on the set of criteria for supervision and evaluation; to summarize and report the implementation results to the Prime Minister.

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and localities in, submitting to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision the establishment of the Interdisciplinary Steering Committee on restructuring of agriculture in the 2021-2025 period.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors, and localities in, effectively implementing the Government’s Decree No. 57/2018/ND-CP of April 17, 2018, on mechanisms and policies to encourage enterprises to invest in agriculture and rural areas; tasks and solutions assigned by the Government under Resolution No. 53/NQ-CP of July 17, 2019, on solutions to encourage and promote enterprises to make effective, safe and sustainable investment in agriculture. To proactively review, and propose the revision of, mechanisms and policies to attract investment resources for agriculture and rural areas; and mechanisms and policies to support the development of cooperative economy.

To summarize, balance, and report to the Prime Minister for addition medium-term public investment funds for the 2021-2025 period for restructuring of agriculture.

To direct the General Statistics Office of Vietnam to coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in building and implementing the set of criteria for supervision and evaluation for restructuring of agriculture.

3. The Ministry of Finance

To assume the prime responsibility for reviewing and revising tax- and charge-related policies toward facilitating production and trade activities of agriculture and attraction of investment from different economic sectors in agriculture and rural areas. To study, amend, and simplify tax-related administrative procedures. To improve mechanisms and policies on, and organize a system of, agricultural insurance; to study formulating insurance mechanisms and policies based on value chains in agriculture.

To balance, and prioritize the allocation of, funds reserved for regular expenditures for activities of the agricultural management system; to implement agricultural restructuring according to the provisions on budget decentralization of the Law on the State Budget and guiding documents.

4. The Ministry of Industry and Trade

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors, and localities in, implementing trade policies applicable to agro-forestry-fisheries products; to closely control and strictly handle smuggling activities and trade frauds, and temporary import for re-export of agro-forestry-fisheries products. To implement mechanisms, policies, and activities to promote the sale of domestic agricultural products; to support agricultural enterprises to join e-commerce supply chains.

To coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in intensifying the review of technical and trade barriers to agricultural exports; to manage the import and export of agricultural products in a flexible and effective manner as suitable to the practical situation and international practices; to direct its overseas trade sections  to help the agricultural sector quickly and accurately grasp trade policies of foreign countries applicable to agricultural products; to support enterprises exporting agricultural products to carry out trade promotion activities, and develop markets for sale of these products in foreign countries.

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, related ministries and sectors, and localities in, formulating policies to prioritize the development of industrial clusters, support services for development of agricultural production and trade in association with the process of industrialization and urbanization, and labor structuring in rural areas. To formulate, and intensify the implementation of, mechanisms and policies to promote the development of supporting industries in favor of agriculture.

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, related ministries and sectors, and localities in, formulating a scheme on logistics development associated with agricultural production and trade zones for submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and promulgation.

5. The Ministry of Science and Technology

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in, effectively implementing the programs on national products, development of science and high technology, and national technology innovation, and other science and technology programs to support agricultural and rural development; to review, adjust and supplement mechanisms and policies on development of the research, transfer and application of science, technology, and technical advances in agriculture, especially high and organic technologies; to formulate a mechanism to promote the mobilization of different resources for science and technology development serving agricultural and rural development; to formulate a national science and technology program through 2030 in processing and preservation of agricultural products and agricultural mechanization for submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval.

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors, and localities in, formulating a Government’s decree on policies to encourage establishments engaged in the production and processing of agro-forestry-fisheries products to apply or transform advanced and environmental-friendly clean technologies.

To coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in formulating standards and technical regulations, and providing guidance on application of modern management instruments and processes; to support the protection registration, management, protection, exploitation and development of intellectual assets, and products eligible for protection of intellectual property rights.

6. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors, and localities in, reviewing, and proposing amendments to, the 2013 Land Law, and relevant regulations, in the direction of encouraging the accumulation and concentration of land for large-scale agricultural production, and development of the market of land use rights in agriculture.

To coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in studying, and advising the Government on, mechanisms and policies to support the development of green agriculture, reduction of emissions, effective response to climate change, effective utilization of natural resources, and remediation of environmental pollution in agricultural and rural areas.

7. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and Ministry of Education and Training

To review and revise policies to support vocational training in agriculture and rural areas, in association with the process of economic restructuring in rural areas; to provide vocational training in association with specific employers (enterprises, business establishments, cooperatives, etc.).

To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in, formulating plans for training of human resources, especially high-quality human resources for agricultural production and trade, and processing and preservation of agricultural products, meeting the requirements of agricultural restructuring and building of a new countryside.

8. The State Bank of Vietnam

To continue to effectively implement credit policies serving agriculture and rural areas. To direct credit institutions in balancing capital sources to promptly meet capital needs of economic sectors and help them access  bank loans for investing in agriculture and rural areas, especially enterprises that invest in projects on hi-tech agriculture, organic agriculture, development of agricultural mechanization, and agricultural product-processing industry.

To direct credit institutions to balance capital sources to promptly meet capital needs for agricultural and rural development; to review and simplify lending procedures and diversify credit products; to intensify the connections between banks and enterprises, cooperatives and people so as to remove difficulties and problems in access to credit capital, especially enterprises investing in projects on hi-tech agriculture, organic agriculture, and development of agricultural product-processing industry, and focal-point enterprises facilitating linkage in the value chain-based agricultural production.

9. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations

To intensify the role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations in propagandization, mobilization, oversight and social criticism activities, and bring into play the role of people from all social strata in agricultural restructuring in association with building of a new countryside.

10. Provincial-level People’s Committees

To evaluate the implementation result in the past period, and formulate local plans on agricultural restructuring which are more suitable to the practical situation and conformable with this Plan.

To effectively implement policies promulgated by central agencies and, at the same time, study and promulgate specific mechanisms and policies of localities to speed up the implementation, and improve the effectiveness, of agricultural restructuring. To allocate funds from local budgets at all levels, and mobilize resources from different economic sectors to invest in agricultural and rural development.

To formulate key programs, schemes and projects on agricultural development which are suitable to the characteristics and strengths of localities; to give priority to the development of local key products and specialties, in association with the agricultural product-processing industry and sale markets, and application of high and environment-friendly technologies. To implement solutions on intensification of regional connectivity toward developing the clusters linking production-preservation and processing-sale of agricultural products, in association with concentrated material zones which are synchronically mechanized and connected with agricultural product-processing establishments, logistics systems, and distribution and sale channels.

11. The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and trade societies and associations

- To coordinate with ministries and sectors in effectively implementing policies on support for people, cooperatives and enterprises in agricultural restructuring.

- To propose mechanisms, policies, and measures to encourage and support organizations and individuals to participate in development investment activities in agriculture and rural development.-

* The appendices to this Decision are not translated.