Vietnam’s agriculture scene has gone from scraping by to raking in over 60 billion USD in exports, turning rice paddies and coffee fields into a cash cow that’s fueling the nation’s economic rise.
Tn 2024, the sector smashed records with a 17.9 billion USD trade surplus, soaring 46.8% from last year. That was a huge slice of Vietnam’s total 24.8 billion USD trade surplus, cementing its influence on Vietnam’s balance of trade.
Productivity gains in the fields
In the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s farming heartland, rice production has seen remarkable gains thanks to advances in seed technology.
Director of the Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute Tran Ngoc Thach explained that most of today’s rice varieties are the result of crossbreeding, a process enhanced by biotechnology to produce strains resistant to pests, salinity, and the caprices of a changing climate. These varieties are not only hardy but also for export markets, with the institute developing high-yield Japonica rice and premium strains suited to the region’s unique conditions.
The impact is evident in global markets. In 2024, Vietnam’s paddy output reached 43.7 million tonnes, while rice exports hit an all-time high of 9.18 million tonnes.
Beyond rice, Vietnamese farmers are jumping on year-round crop varieties, keeping fruits flowing to local and global markets. In aquaculture, controlled breeding has turned white-leg shrimp, tra fish, and tilapia into billion-dollar export brands, riding the wave of demand for sustainable seafood.
Coffee, one of Vietnam’s most lucrative exports, tells a similar story of transformation. Phan Viet Ha, deputy head of the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute, recalled a time when the country relied on low-yield, pest-prone coffee varieties imported from Côte d'Ivoire, France, and South America. Over nearly half a century, the institute developed high-performing domestic strains that have vaulted Vietnam to the top of global coffee production. Robusta varieties now yield 4-7 tonnes per ha, with some hitting 10 tonnes. Over 90% of newly planted or replanted coffee fields use these homegrown strains, Ha said.
Global reach and ambition
In the Mekong Delta, localities are piloting low-emission, high-quality rice models, with strong buy-in from farmers and businesses, setting the stage for “green” rice to take over export markets.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s coffee fields are getting eco-certified under standards like Rainforest Alliance and 4C, paving the way for low-carbon coffee products that meet new global consumption trends. Such are seen as key drivers of export growth at a time when sustainable production is a global priority.
Vietnam’s agricultural footprint is expanding worldwide. “Our agro-forestry-fisheries are now present in more than 200 countries and territories, with firm footholds in major markets such as the US, China, Japan, the European Union (EU) and the Middle East”, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien.
The long-term strategy is to build value chains that seamlessly connect production, processing and consumption. The focus is on boosting competitiveness, expanding export markets, and enforcing stricter quality management, certification and traceability. The ultimate goal is to establish global brands for Vietnamese farm produce and planting the nation’s flag firmly on the world agriculture map./.
