HANOI: Amid ongoing volatility in global markets, Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery exports opened the year on a strong note, reaching nearly US$6.51 billion in January, a rise of 29.5 per cent year on year.
The figures were released at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s regular press briefing on production and business performance in January, held on Feb 5.
The robust growth in the first month of the year, despite lingering global uncertainties, underlines the effectiveness of the sector’s efforts in management, production organisation and market expansion.
Agricultural products accounted for about US$3.6 billion in export earnings, up 41.8 per cent. Livestock products generated $47.5 million, an increase of 20.2 per cent, while fisheries brought in $940 million, up 21.5 per cent. Forestry products contributed $1.72 billion, rising 13 per cent year on year.
Asia remained the largest export destination for Vietnam’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products, accounting for 45.3 per cent of total export value. The Americas followed with 22.7 per cent and Europe with 13.4 per cent, while Africa and Oceania held smaller shares of 2.6 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively.
Compared with the same period last year, January export values were estimated to increase by 41.1 per cent to Asia, 22.4 per cent to the Americas, 11.2 per cent to Europe, 21.6 per cent to Africa and 32.3 per cent to Oceania.
By individual market, China, the US and Japan remained the three largest destinations, accounting for market shares of 22.6 per cent, 20.4 per cent and 7 per cent, respectively. Exports to China surged by 66.1 per cent year on year, while shipments to the US rose by 21.6 per cent and to Japan by 19.6 per cent.
Several key agricultural export groups recorded strong growth in January, including coffee, rubber, tea, rice, fruit and vegetables, cashew nuts and pepper, with increases in both volume and value compared with the same period last year.
Coffee and rubber continued to play a leading role. Coffee exports reached about 180,000 tonnes, valued at $981 million, while rubber exports totalled around 220,000 tonnes, worth $416 million, both rising sharply year on year. Average export prices for the two commodities remained stable, with consumption mainly concentrated in Europe and Asia.
Tea and rice also posted solid gains in both output and export value. Tea exports stood at approximately 14,000 tonnes, valued at $23 million, while rice exports reached about 600,000 tonnes, bringing in $370 million.
Although average tea export prices edged down slightly, higher volumes helped bring an increase in export earnings. Rice export prices, meanwhile, rose by about 4 per cent, averaging $616.6 per tonne.
Fruit and vegetables remained a standout performer, with January export turnover estimated at around $750 million, double that of the same period last year. China continued to be the largest market for these products, alongside strong growth in the US.
Cashew nuts and pepper also maintained strong momentum. Cashew exports reached about 65,000 tonnes, valued at $434 million, while pepper exports stood at roughly 20,000 tonnes, worth $133 million. Both rose by more than 50 per cent year on year, despite a slight decline in average export prices.
According to the ministry, market development and the promotion of agricultural consumption remain consistent, long-term solutions for the sector.
Efforts continue to link production closely with market demand, strengthen trade promotion and product marketing, and support enterprises and cooperatives in expanding both domestic and international markets.
At the same time, the sector is pressing ahead with restructuring towards higher value added and sustainable development, alongside strengthened food safety and traceability. This restructuring covers not only crop production, livestock, fisheries and forestry, but the entire value chain from production to processing and consumption, with flexible adaptation to the requirements of each export market.
Overall, January’s export results point to a recovery and broad-based growth across many key commodities, in both volume and value. This is seen as a positive start for production, business activity and exports across the sector in 2026.
Speaking at the press briefing, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phùng Đức Tiến said 2026 is the first year of implementing tasks in a new context, carrying out major orientations under the resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and the development plan for the 2026–30 period.
With strong export growth recorded from the outset of the year, together with a comprehensive set of solutions including institutional improvement, digital transformation, sector restructuring and market development, the agriculture and environment sector has a favourable foundation to achieve its growth targets and make a positive contribution to socio-economic development in 2026.
On Jan 20, the ministry issued an action programme to implement the Government’s resolutions 01 and 02, setting a target for overall sector growth of 3.7–4 per cent and total agricultural, forestry and fishery export turnover of approximately $73–74 billion in 2026. — Vietnam News/ANN