The list includes rice, coffee, rubber, cashew nuts, pepper, tea, vegetables and fruit, cassava and cassava products, pork, meat and eggs, tra fish, shrimp, wood and wood products.
MARD said that many countries had identified their key agricultural products in order to encourage their development, but so far there hadn’t been a unified set of indicators to identify key agricultural products among countries.
Each country will select their key agricultural products based on their own natural and socio-economic conditions as well as their political and social security objectives.
According to MARD, there are four main groups of criteria that most countries use to identify their key agricultural products, including economic criteria, social criteria, environmental criteria, and the criteria of products prioritised for development.
The ministry said the promulgation of the list aimed to encourage investment into agriculture to improve product quality and competitiveness.
Earlier, the ministry drafted a decree proposing 15 key agricultural products including the 13 mentioned above, as well as beef and ginseng.
Vietnam now ranks second in Southeast Asia in exporting agricultural products.
Last year, the country’s export revenues of agricultural products hit a record high of 40.02 billion USD – the highest growth rate over the past seven years.
Specifically, the gross domestic product (GDP) of agriculture, forestry and fishery expanded by 3.76 percent while the production value increased by 3.86 percent. Of which, the export value of the key agricultural products had been on the rise, contributing to the high growth rate.
The 10 commodity groups with export turnover of over 1 billion USD continued to be maintained, of which five items posted a revenue of more than 3 billion USD, including wood and wood products (8.86 billion USD), shrimp (3.59 billion USD), fruit and vegetable (3.81 billion USD), coffee (3.46 billion USD) and cashew nuts (3.43 billion USD).
The sector’s trade surplus increased from 7 billion USD in 2015 to 8.5 billion USD in 2017 and 8.72 billion USD in 2018, contributing sharply to balancing the country’s foreign currency reserves.
The global agricultural market in 2018 recorded a sharp decline in prices of industrial crops in the context of fierce competition among exporting countries, causing a rapid increase in supply while world demand decreased or increased slowly. Specifically, commodities seeing declines included coffee, rubber, pepper and cashew nuts. However, Vietnam still maintained a high export value thank to increasing export volume despite falling prices.
The export value of key agricultural products had been increased including rice, vegetables, tra fish, wood and forest products.
According to minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, the achievements were partly due to restructuring the sector, organising production by chain and bringing high technologies into production, especially key agricultural products.
The whole sector would strive to achieve a GDP growth rate of over 3 percent, an increase of over 3.11 percent in the production value and an export turnover of about 42-43 billion USD, he said.
To reach the targets, the ministry would continue to restructure the sector and boost production and processing, develop the consumption market for farm produce, and promote sustainable growth.
It would also develop the consumption market in the country as well as the export markets, actively implement trade promotion and effectively tap into the opportunities of free trade agreements (FTAs).
VNS/VNA
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) With continued policy support, technological innovation and close coordination among authorities, businesses and farmers, Vietnam’s pangasius industry is expected to make a strong and sustainable breakthrough during the 2026–2030 period, reinforcing its position as the world’s leading exporter of the fish.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) During the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports to Asian markets showed varying trends across regions and countries. The Middle East recorded strong growth, with Saudi Arabia emerging as the largest Asian market for Vietnamese tilapia. ASEAN markets also expanded significantly, driven primarily by Malaysia. Meanwhile, Japan maintained solid growth, while exports to South Korea declined compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Shrimp and pangasius continued to lead growth, helping seafood exports reach $4.67 billion in the first five months of the year; however, differentiation among product groups and increasingly stringent requirements from importing markets are posing many challenges for the industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Every day, the seafood processing industry in Ca Mau generates large quantities of shrimp heads and shells during processing operations. In the past, these by-products were largely treated as waste, increasing production costs and posing potential environmental risks. However, thanks to advanced processing technologies, materials once considered waste are now being transformed into high-value products, creating a circular economy model within the seafood industry.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation has invested in a 280-hectare super-intensive shrimp farming zone in Tran De Commune, Can Tho City, generating export value of approximately VND 3 billion per hectare per year—around 50 times higher than traditional agricultural production.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.02 billion in May 2026, up 0.6% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 4.67 billion, an increase of 11% compared to the same period in 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In a rapidly changing global seafood market, timely insights and reliable data are more critical than ever. The Report on Vietnam Seafood Exports in Q1/2026 provides a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in Vietnam’s seafood production, trade performance, and export trends, helping businesses navigate uncertainty and identify new growth opportunities.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) While many major markets continue to experience slow growth, Russia has emerged as a brighter destination for Vietnamese tuna exports in early 2026. Export turnover to this market increased by nearly 55% in the first four months of the year, indicating a clear improvement in demand. Nevertheless, Russia remains a market that should be viewed with both optimism and caution.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports have shown encouraging signs of recovery in 2026. In the first four months of the year, total export turnover reached USD 720 million, up 17% compared to the same period last year. This result reflects improving demand across many markets, as well as the efforts of Vietnamese pangasius enterprises to maintain production, secure orders, and adapt to changing market conditions.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first four months of 2026, Vietnam’s tilapia exports reached USD 49 million, up 151% compared to the same period in 2025. This impressive growth reflects positive momentum in the tilapia sector, with Brazil emerging as a key driver of growth, while frozen tilapia fillets continued to be the industry's leading export product.
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