Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Exports to Reach Over US$70 Billion in 2025, Laying the Foundation for a Breakthrough in Value in 2026

In 2025, amidst a volatile global economy, Vietnam's agricultural, forestry, and fishery exports will maintain positive growth momentum, surpassing the US$70 billion mark for the first time.

This result not only affirms the pivotal role of agriculture in macroeconomic stability but also creates an important foundation for the entire sector to aim for green growth, increased value, and sustainable development in 2026.

Exports grow evenly, and the market continues to expand.

On the afternoon of January 6th, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a regular press conference to inform about the results of agricultural, forestry, and fishery production, business, and exports in 2025.

At the press conference, the Ministry's leaders affirmed that Vietnam has a clear advantage in agricultural development; The Party and State have always given special attention to and issued many important policies and guidelines to promote agricultural and rural development.

Thanks to this, the agricultural sector continues to be restructured towards ecological principles, increasing added value and sustainable development. The market for agricultural products is constantly expanding; the export value of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products has increased continuously over the years, with products now present in more than 196 countries and territories. In 2025 alone, exports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products will set a new record, reaching the highest value ever, approximately 70 times higher than the pre-reform period, with an average growth rate of 10%-12% per year.

Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien emphasized that 2025 will be a particularly difficult year. Globally, armed conflicts and trade competition are becoming increasingly complex; Domestically, the implementation of a two-tiered government model requires the simultaneous revision and improvement of many legal documents. The agricultural and environmental sectors, in particular, are heavily impacted by storms, floods, and natural disasters, causing serious damage to both people and property.

This year, natural disasters claimed over 420 lives, with total economic losses estimated at approximately 109 trillion VND. The fisheries sector was severely affected, with about 1,500 hectares of aquaculture farms damaged; livestock suffered a double impact from disease and extreme weather; and while crop production suffered less damage, it was not immune to the overall impact.

In this context, with the decisive leadership and guidance of the Central Party Committee, the Government, and especially the Prime Minister, the agricultural and environmental sectors have still achieved very commendable results. At times, especially during storms and floods, the consumption and export of agricultural products faced many difficulties, with goods accumulating at border areas. Export turnover in the first 11 months of the year only reached approximately US$5.85 billion to US$5.9 billion per month, raising concerns that the annual target would be difficult to achieve.

However, in December 2025 alone, export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products reached US$6.21 billion, creating a significant breakthrough, bringing the total export turnover for the year to US$70.09 billion, a 12% increase compared to the previous year and far exceeding the set target.

In the export structure, agricultural products reached US$37.25 billion, an increase of 13.7%; livestock products reached US$627.8 million, an increase of 17.4%; aquatic products reached US$11.32 billion, an increase of 12.7%; and forestry products reached US$18.5 billion, an increase of 6.6%. Notably, Vietnamese agricultural products continue to maintain 10 export product groups exceeding $1 billion, with three groups reaching over $8 billion: wood and wood products at $17.3 billion; coffee at $8.5 billion; and fruits and vegetables at $8.6 billion.

Regarding markets, Asia continues to be the largest export region, accounting for 45.2% of the market share; followed by the Americas (22.8%) and Europe (13.2%). In particular, export turnover to Europe increased by 34.2%, and to Africa by a remarkable 68.1%, demonstrating the effectiveness of market diversification efforts. The three largest export markets remain China, the United States, and Japan.

Many key export items are poised for breakthroughs, heading towards green growth in 2026.

2025 saw a strong surge in exports of many key export items, especially those with competitive advantages and high added value. Coffee stood out, with exports reaching 1.5 million tons and a value of US$8.57 billion, an increase of over 52% in value; the average export price reached over US$5,630 per ton. Fruits and vegetables reached US$8.56 billion, an increase of nearly 20%, with the Chinese market accounting for over 64% of the total export value. Cashew nuts reached US$5.19 billion; pepper, despite a slight decrease in volume, achieved US$1.64 billion in value thanks to a sharp price increase.

Conversely, some items such as rice, rubber, and tea recorded a decrease in volume or value due to market fluctuations and international prices. Rice exports in 2025 are projected to reach 7.9 million tons, with a value of US$4.02 billion, a decrease of 29.1% in value compared to the previous year.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien affirmed: To achieve a breakthrough in value, the entire industry will focus on implementing comprehensive solutions along the "raw material area-standards-processing-logistics-market" chain.

Along with exports, imports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products are also increasing to ensure the supply of inputs for production. For the whole year of 2025, import value is projected to reach US$49.36 billion, an increase of 10.1%, mainly focusing on agricultural products, livestock products, aquatic products, and supplies.

Source: Nhan Dan News