Booming industry: A man works at a fish pond in Can Tho. The agro-forestry-fishery sector enjoyed a trade surplus of US$8.5bil (RM37.63bil), 30% higher than that of 2021. — Reuters
HANOI: The agriculture sector in 2022 posted a new record in the agro-forestry-fishery export value, hitting more than US$53.2bil (RM235.54bil), a year-on-year increase of 9.3%, according to the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry.
The ministry reported that the sector enjoyed a trade surplus of US$8.5bil (RM37.63bil), 30% higher than that of 2021.
Specifically, the export value of main agricultural products reached US$22.59bil (RM100bil), up 4.8%; main forest products reached US$16.93bil (RM74.96bil), up 6.1%; and aquatic products hit US$10.92bil (RM48.35bil), up 22.9%.
The agricultural sector had 11 groups of products recording an export turnover of over US$1bil (RM4.4bil), including seven groups of products gaining over US$3bil (RM13.28bil).
During the year, the sector has focused on removing trade barriers, thus helping set the new export records, the ministry said.
A series of projects have been implemented to promote exports and speed up the application of information technology in collecting information and carrying out market forecasts.
The ministry has kept a close watch on price fluctuations and the balance of supply and demand in the market while proposing solutions to remove difficulties for the consumption of agricultural products.
It has coordinated with embassies, and trade and agriculture counsellors to set up channels for providing information related to export markets.
It has also strengthened online trade promotion activities to expand exports to big markets such as China, the United States, the European Union, Russia and Brazil, and effectively exploited potential markets including Japan, South Korea, Asean, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
The ministry has closely coordinated with the Industry and Trade Ministry to negotiate on opening the export market for local farm produce and to promptly solve problems to promote agricultural, forestry and fishery exports.
At the same time, it has introduced measures to solve obstacles from the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict affecting the global supply chain of agricultural products.
It has also actively taken advantage of free trade agreements to promote agricultural product exports.
The fishery industry this year gained a record export value of about US$11bil (RM48.70bil), up 23.8% over the same period in 2021 and 22.2% higher than the yearly plan at US$9bil (RM39.85bil).
Of this, the export value surged by 70% year-on-year to US$2.35bil (RM10.40bil) for tra fish (pangasius) and 13% to US$4.1bil-US$4.2bil (RM18.15bil-RM18.60bil) for brackish water shrimp. — Viet Nam News/ANN
