Vietnam's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Sectors Maintain Stability in August and Year-to-Date, Facing Some Challenges

According to the General Statistics Office's report on the socio-economic situation in August and the first eight months of 2026, released on September 3, Vietnam's agriculture, forestry, and fishery sectors maintained stable performance overall. However, challenges such as a decrease in rice cultivation areas due to unfavorable weather and land use changes in some regions, along with an increase in forest fires, were also highlighted. Conversely, pig and poultry farming, as well as aquaculture, continued to show positive momentum. In the agricultural sector, focus was placed on the cultivation and care of rice and other crops for the summer-autumn season. However, rice cultivation area and that of some other crops decreased compared to the same period last year. This was attributed to the conversion of land to more economically valuable crops, land acquisition for public projects, and water shortages caused by prolonged heatwaves. Meanwhile, pork and poultry production remained strong. Timber harvest volume saw a significant increase due to rising demand from processing industries. Aquaculture continued its positive trend, driven by intensive farming, scientific and technological applications, and stable market conditions. As of August 20, the summer-autumn rice cultivation area reached 1.87 million hectares, a decrease of 29,100 hectares compared to the previous year. Harvesting is underway, though some regions have adjusted planting schedules to cope with water shortages and pest outbreaks. The autumn rice cultivation area also decreased year-on-year, stemming from the conversion of inefficient paddy fields and land acquisition for public works and industrial zones. In the South, the progress of autumn-sown rice has been delayed due to the late harvest of the summer-autumn crop. In the livestock sector, cattle and buffalo farming continued to decline due to low economic efficiency, shrinking natural grazing land, feed shortages, and rising feed prices. However, pork production showed positive results, particularly from businesses and large-scale farms that have secured breeds and feed, implemented closed-loop production systems, and enhanced biosecurity measures. Poultry production also increased, benefiting from its adaptability to market fluctuations, short production cycles, rapid capital turnover, and stable consumer demand. However, rising feed prices and volatile input costs are impacting production efficiency, especially for small-scale farmers. In the forestry sector, while new afforestation areas in August decreased year-on-year, timber harvest volume increased due to rising demand from processing industries. However, forest fire damage in August alone significantly increased compared to the same period last year, primarily caused by heatwaves and dry conditions. Forest damage has been on an upward trend throughout the year. In the fisheries sector, which continues to add value to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, catch and aquaculture production in August increased year-on-year. Notably, the production of catfish (Pangasius) and shrimp has shown an upward trend, supported by stable prices, the adoption of intensive and high-tech farming methods, and strong export markets. Source: Nhan Dan