The Hanoitimes - The agricultural sector had played a leading role in reducing the country's trade deficit, contributing to macroeconomic stability and improving living standards for rural people.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said so at a conference to review the work of the agricultural sector last Saturday.
Reports from the ministry showed that the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2011 increased by 3 per cent from last year. The total rice output was estimated to reach 42.3 millions of tonnes, an increase of 2.3 millions of tonnes from last year.
Exports of agriculture, forestry and fishery products exceeded expectations, with the total annual export turnover reaching US$25 billion, up 29 per cent over last year.
Nhan noted that the ministry should identify the products and review production planning for efficient investment.
He said the ministry needed to pay more attention to the effects of science and technology for the agricultural sector.
In the area of vocational training for rural workers, Nhan said the ministry should co-ordinate with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to guide the specific jobs in the short time.
In the area of food hygiene and safety, the Deputy PM stressed that the ministry needed to complete modern slaughter houses in five major cities, followed by neighboring provinces.
In terms of key tasks next year, Minister Cao Duc Phat stressed on industry restructuring, development of selected plants and animals, in which focused on developing fisheries, livestock, industrial storage and processing.
The sector would also focus on development on irrigation and agricultural infrastructure to prevent natural disasters and adap to climate change.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh said yesterday that the national new rural construction was a fully solid foundation for sustainable rural development and improve the living conditions of rural people.
He was speaking at a meeting on implementing the national target of new rural construction next year held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
After one year of implementation, at least 11 communes on the trial programme showed positive results. However, he said some difficulties, including slow implementation, inappropriate policies and unstable production planning, halted the improvement of the lives of rural people.
Ninh noted that localities should target at least 20 per cent of communes to achieve the standard criteria of new rural construction by 2015.
He also asked local authorities to complete the 2012 plan suitable for each region and create conditions for sustainable development and training human resources.
To achieve the target, agriculture minister Phat said the ministry should improve the operation of the Steering Committee at all levels, enhance the dissemination on the programme and implement inspections of the programmes.
