Agricultural Development: Prioritizing Efficiency over Scale Expansion

Q1/2026 marked a clear shift in Vietnam’s agricultural sector toward selective development, with localities prioritizing efficiency over scale expansion. Winter-Spring crop planting was implemented synchronously across the country, while the Mekong Delta entered an early harvest, ensuring supply stability and market balance.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as of late March 2026, the Winter-Spring rice cultivation area reached approximately 2.92 million hectares, down 1.3% compared to the same period in 2025. This reduction primarily stemmed from converting inefficient farming lands to other crops, aquaculture, or infrastructure and industrial development. Despite the area reduction, rice yield remained stable at 6.87 metric tons per hectare, demonstrating the efficiency of applying new crop varieties and advanced farming techniques. However, due to a smaller harvested area, total Winter-Spring rice output was estimated at 3.64 million tons, a 5.5% decrease.

Crop restructuring continued to undergo strong adjustments. Cultivated areas for corn decreased by 2.9% and peanuts by 1.3%, whereas vegetables saw a slight increase of 0.4% and beans rose by 0.7%. This reflects a shift toward higher economic-value crops better aligned with market demand. Sweet potato cultivation remained stable, showing that traditional crops maintain their solid role in the overall production structure.

A major highlight in Q1/2026’s agricultural landscape was the perennial crop group, with outputs of several key fruits growing strongly thanks to favorable market prices and past acreage expansion. Specifically, durian surged by 15%, jackfruit by 12.8%, bananas by 5.3%, and pomelos by 5.8%. Perennial industrial crops such as coconut, cashew, pepper, and tea also recorded steady gains, highlighting the impact of intensive farming investments and scientific applications.

In the livestock sector, recovery trends continued to solidify. Total pig herds grew by 2.9%. Poultry farming also developed stably, with total flock size up 3.3%, driven by biosecurity models and supply chain linkages. Conversely, cattle and buffalo farming faced ongoing challenges as total herds declined due to low economic returns and natural disaster impacts, though production output was sustained through improved breeding and husbandry techniques.

Fisheries remained a crucial growth pillar for the sector. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that total fishery output reached 2.18 million tons in Q1/2026, a 3.2% increase. Aquaculture saw strong growth at 5.4% thanks to expanding intensive farming models and high-tech integration. Pangasius production rose 5.9% and whiteleg shrimp surged 8.5%, proving the effectiveness of reorganizing production along value chains. Meanwhile, marine capture fisheries grew slowly under the pressure of rising fuel costs.

The forestry sector also recorded positive signals, with new plantation areas and timber production increasing, while damaged forest areas dropped sharply owing to strengthened forest management, protection, and fire prevention efforts.

Overall, the Q1/2026 agricultural landscape clearly reflects a transition from extensive growth to intensive, quality-driven growth. Reducing land area in certain segments is no longer a negative factor, but rather a reflection of a restructuring process on the right track—focusing on elevating productivity, quality, and added value. This serves as a vital foundation for the agricultural sector to sustain long-term growth, adapt effectively to climate change, and enhance competitive capacity in the upcoming period.

Source: https://tapchikinhtetaichinh.vn/