Agriculture, forestry and fishery production value of the first Quarter 2014 at 2010 comperative price was estimated at 165 thousand billion dong, up 2.43% as compared to the first Quarter 2013, in which agriculture reached 126.7 thousand billion dong, up 2.01%; forestry reached 5.7 thousand billion dong, up 4.8%; fishery reached 32.6 thousand billion dong, up 3.71% (lower than increase of the first Quarter 2013: Agriculture, forestry and fishery production value of the first Quarter 2013 raised by 2.59% over the first Quarter 2012, in which, agriculture by 2.48%; forestry by 5.8%; fishery by 2.47%)

1. Agriculture

Major tasks of agriculture in the first Quarter 2014 were focusing on harvest of remaining farm produces of winter crop in the Northern provinces, as well as accelerating cultivation of rice and other crop plants of winter-spring crop in the whole country.

a. Cultivation

Winter-spring crop

As of March 15th 2014, the whole country sowed 3062.3 thousand hectares of Winter-spring rice, equivalent to 99% as compared to the same period last year, in which the Northern localities sowed 1112.7 thousand hectares, equaling 100.1% (up 1.1 thousand hectares); the Southern localities sowed 1949.7 thousand hectares, equivalent to 98.4% (down 30.9 thousand hectares).

In the North, due to unfavorable weather in the beginning of crop, extremely cold and damaging cold weather continuously occurred at the seeding time, made it difficult for the cultivation and care of winter-spring rice. However, by now, almost localities has completed replanting the damaged spring rice, ensured cultivation areas according to the plan and within crop schedule. From the early March, when the weather has been warmer, facilitated for rice to grow and develop, localities have been focusing on top dressing while rice has rooted to become green.

In the Southern localities, progress of winter-spring rice cultivation and harvest was both slower than the same period last year. Forecast of cultivation areas this year was not higher than the same period last year, in which the Mekong Delta was estimated to reach 1564.3 thousand hectares, down 1.6 thousand hectares. Now, Prime Minister assigned Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development steer and build policy of encouraging to convert into other plants with higher value.

As of mid-March, the Southern localities harvested 725.3 thousand hectares, equaling 64.6% of the same period last year, in which, the Mekong Delta began vigorous harvest, reached over 702 thousand hectares, accounting for 45% of sown area and equivalent to 64.4% of the same period last year. According to estimate of the provinces, productivity of winter-spring rice crop of this region was rather high, increasing by 0.9 quintal/ hectares (+ 1.3%); output reached over 10.8 million tons, up more than 126 thousand tons (+ 1.2%) as compared to winter-spring crop last year.

Some provinces in South Central Coast and East South have been facing prolonged heat weather and lack of irrigation water while the rice is done booting, which would affect yield.

Winter-spring rice consumption in the Mekong Delta: It was relatively favorable in the beginning of the harvest season, its price brought profit for farmers. However, from early March till now, rice price has fallen by 400-500 VND/ kg to about 4400 – 5000 VND/kg for normal  rice and 4500 – 5300 VND/kg for high quality rice; price of IR50404 fresh rice has been only ranging from 4000 to 4100 VND/kg. The rice price was down because Thailand held a stocktake sale of rice with large quantity and low price. In order to support farmers, Prime Minister has just decided to purchase for temporary storage of 1 million tons of rice in winter-spring crop 2013-2014 of the Mekong Delta in the time up to 6 months from March 20th 2014 to the end of September 20th 2014, so the regional price of rice has raised again slightly.

Other annual plants

In parallel with the winter-spring rice cultivation, as of mid-March, the whole country has planted 350 thousand hectares of maize, equalling 102.8%; 78.9 thousand hectares of sweet potato, equalling 98.7%; 51.3 thousand hectares of soybeans, equalling 94.4%; 126.6 thousand hectares of peanuts, equalling 93%; 486.4 thousand hectares of vegetables, equalling 108.3% over the same period last year. Planted areas decreased in some localities, of which: in Ha Noi, maize down 7% (630 hectares), soybeans down 3% (222 hectares); in Vinh Phuc, maize down 6% (700 hectares); in Nghe An, maize down 11% (2.6 thousand hectares), peanuts down 34% (16 thousand hectares).

b. Livestock

Cattle breeding in Quarter I of 2014 was affected relatively strong due to extremely cold and damaging cold, especially cattle of some Northern mountainous provinces. According to complied data of Department of Husbandry – MARD, extremely cold and damaging cold has killed over 2000 cattle (mainly elderly buffaloes, elderly oxen and young calves). Current estimate of the whole country’s cattle decreased by about 1.5-2%, cows by about 1-1.5% over the same period 2013. Live-weight buffalo and ox meat production of Quarter I was estimated to decrease about 1-1.5% as compared to the same period 2013.

Pig breeding focused on reproduction after Tet 2014. Blue ear disease was controlled, while avian flu outbroke strongly, which made consumers worry and switch to use more pork, so price of hog started to raise in the recent time. However, due to worry about uncertain price and outbreak again of blue ear disease, almost farmers have not been bold enough to re-invest. Current number of pigs of the whole country was estimated to increase slightly as compared to the same period last year. Live-weight output of hog slaughtered in the first Quarter 2014 was estimated to raise 1-1.2% over the same period last year.

Poultry breeding: Extremely cold, damaging cold, pro-longed drizzle in the North; risk of the spreading H7N9 and H10N8 flu virus from China into Vietnam, especially, strongly outbroken H5N1 bird flu, obstructed domestic poultry breeding operation in the first Quarter 2014. According to Department of Animal Health, there have been 32 provinces and cities nationwide appearancing avian influenza from the beginning of the year with over 140 thousand poultry infected and death, more than 160 thousand destroyed poultry. The main season leading to the strong outbreak of bird flu were: the weather was wet, vaccination and hygience disinfection of breeding environment in some localities were not practiced frequently, and increase of travel and trade in poultry, poultry products of people during Tet holiday spread and dispersed pathogens. Total current poultry of the whole country was estimated to decrease about 1% as compared to the same period last year. Live-weight output of slaughtered poultry increased softly over the same period 2013.

As of March 21st 2014, there were 13 provinces including Ca Mau, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Hai Duong, Soc Trang, Gia Lai, Hung Yen, Dong Nai, Ha Giang, Quang Nam, Ben Tre and Binh Thuan in the whole country remaining with the bird flu epidemic within 21 days.

2. Forestry

Forestry operation in the first months of the year focused on tending, regeneration and protection of forests, planting Spring forest and dispersed forest trees in Tet 2014; and strengthening forest fire prevention in dry season. Production situation of this period was relatively favorable, some localities had rain from the beginning, so reforestation was deployed early, mainly in the Central provinces and the Northern mountainous area; forest exploitation and market both domestic and exported were also favorable, so production result was rather high as compared to the same period last year. Total planted area of the first 3 months was estimated at 11.5 thousand hectares, up 36.9% as compared to the same period last year. Some localities having large planted area were Nghe An 2400 hectares; Quang Ninh 2230 hectares; Quang Ngai 2445 hectares; Quang Nam 1100 hectares; Yen Bai 1036 hectares; Phu Tho 944 hectares...; number of scattered forest trees was estimated at 64.2 million (up 0.3%); wood extraction output was estimated at 1190 thousand m3 (up 5.2%). Some localities had highly increased extracted wood output such as Tuyen Quang up 68%, Thanh Hoa up 64%, Quang Nam up 10%, Quang Ngai 10.3%, Binh Dinh 12.9%...; firewood extraction yield reached 7.6 million ste (up 2.7%).

The weather was currently in dry season, so many localities faced to high risk of forest fire; as of mid-March, damaged forest area was estimated at 600 hectares, of which, fired forest area was 508 hectares, up 25.8% over the same period last year.

3. Fishery

Output of exploitation and aquaculture of the first Quarter was estimated at 1185.2 thousand tons, up 3% as compared the same period last year; of which, fish was estimated at 870.8 thousand tons, up 1.6%; shrimp was estimated at 118.2 thousand tons, up 8.6%.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture production of the first Quarter was estimated at 497.9 thousand tons, down 0.4% over the same period, in which, fish production was estimated at 346.8 thousand tons, down 4%; shrimp was estimated at 87.5 thousand tons, up 10.1%.

Catfish production still continued losing due to low price of raw catfish along with the difficulty of output crisis last time and food price rising constantly; in spite of favorable access to capital, decrease of banking interest over the last time, it did not encourage farmer households to invest into this field, harvest yield of catfish continued falling, in particular yield of this Quarter in Ben Tre was 24 thousand tons, down 46%; Vinh Long was 26.1 thousand tons, down 7%; Can Tho was 20.4 thousand tons, down 24%; An Giang was 45 thousand tons, down 6.3%.

Structure of shrimp farming changed quickly towards decrease of tiger shrimp farming area, strong increase of whiteleg shrimp farming area. In the recent years, whiteleg shrimp export turnover of our country has raised quickly due to the increase of whiteleg shrimp’s consumer demand of the import countries. Hence, famers gained much because of high selling price, besides, whiteleg shrimp farming has high productivity, less disease and could be done with 2-3 crops per year, while tiger shrimp farming only could be done with 1 main crop. So, in the first months of 2014, many households focused on breeding whiteleg shrimp, area of breeding increased quickly. Specifically, the localities with much increased area were: breeding area of Soc Trang was 6,113 hectares, up 167%; Bac Lieu was 1,573 hectares, up 118%; Ca Mau was 3,704 hectares, up by 4 times; Tra Vinh was 1,828 hectares, up by over 3 times; Long An was 1,338 hectares, up 65%.

Now, outbreak of whiteleg shrimp farming area has been also revealing many shortcomings because white shrimp farming develops too fast, people mainly did themself so relevant agencies could not invest in irrigation and manage water environment in time. Besides, quality of resource of seed, food, chemical drug were not ensured and the weather changed, so epidemic disease could arise strongly when the area of aquaculture increased.

Fishery exploitation

Fishery exploitation output in this Quarter was estimated at 687.3 thousand tons, up 5.6% over the same period; in which, fish exploitation was estimated at 524 thousand tons, up 5.6%; shrimp at 30.7 thousand tons, up 4.8%. Marine exploitation was estimated at 648.9 thousand tons, up 6%.

In the first Quarter 2014, due to the weather on the sea was relatively favorable for exploitation, seafood appeared more at the beginning of exploitation season, so fisherman pushed off concurrently. Generally, voyages reached fair yields and were profitable, created an exciting spirit for fisherman. Especially, in the first days of February, anchovies appeared in large quantities with thicker density and larger size than the previous years making marine exploitation yield be well. Ninh Thuan reached 37.8 thousand tons, up by 2 times over the same period last year, Kien Giang reached 112 thousand tons, up 13%; Soc Trang reached 13 thousand tons, up 7.2%. Tuna fish exploitation in this Quarter decreased strongly because the last exploitation was lost much, fisherman changed into another jobs: Phu Yen reached 1226 tons, down 40.3%; Binh Dinh reached 1700 tons, down 40.4%; Khanh Hoa reached 502 tons, down 3.5%.

2. Some solutions for boosting agricultural production development in the coming time

a. Disease prevention

- Enhancing and improving quality the activities of disease prevention on cattle and poultry, implementing a month of emergency disinfection and sterilization to prevent bird flu all over the country.

-  Ministries, agencies and localities implement reviewing the disease prevention activities, update disease information in time, identify and monitor the kind of virus to determine appropriated vaccine strain; build the epidemiological mapping of disease as a basis for directing disease prevention.

-  Strengthening information to people to positively prevent disease but it does not panic for their psychology, which would lead to reduce consumption of livestock products, causing damage to livestock farmers.

-  Continuing to support, encourage people to re-farm with suitable quantity, precaution of the risk of declining supply, which would  lead to recurrence of the smuggling livestock products.

-  As for disease prevention on seafood: To ensure the stability of aquaculture development, localities should plan soon for disease prevention (especially in monitoring and forecasting disease) and stocking schedule for the next farming crop in order to ensure positive, fast, timely and effective disease prevention; on the other hand, implement guiding farmers to implement synchronous measures of disease prevention on shrimp, strengthening training and propaganda to people on disease and the provisions of prevention to create initiative for people when disease occurs.

b.  Credit for rural agriculture

Continue to implement building Program of lending for agricultural development according to Resolution No. 14/NQ-CP dated 5th March 2014 by the Prime Minister with these contents:

Procedures and conditions for lend

-  Credit policy must support and efficiently serve policy of agricultural investment restructuring according to Decision No. 899/QD-TTg dated on 06th October 2013 approving agricultural restructuring plan towards improving added value and sustainable development.

-  On the lending limit: Raising the maximum loan not secured by property for households cultivating major aquatic products as tiger prawn, catfish, whiteleg shrimp and for cooperatives, aquaculture farms.

-  On loan guarantee mechanism: Adding loan guarantee mechanism for individuals, households developing the career or fishermen, in case of the absence of land use right certificate for the purpose of agricultural production, but they have demand of loan for their career development or consumption.

-  On the lending term: There should be regulations for medium and long-term lending, according to cycles of agricultural products and business cycle of each crop plant and livestock. Lending term should be reasonable and enough length for agricultural production.

- Adding lending sectors: Construction of infield irrigation infrastructure; construction of irrigation pumping power in agriculture; activities of reception and transfer of agricultural seed development projects; quarantine and quality control of agricultural products, projects related to forestry (planting, tending, nurturing and development of poor natural forest). There should be a separation of lending for fishing and fishing service, and a mechanism to guarantee the loans, loan conditions and mechanism for dealing with risks in this sector.

- Object of lending: Expanding the object of preferential credit loans to the units, individuals, households residing in urban localities, but having the demand for loans to invest in agricultural production, unions of cooperatives, enterprises in cooperatives and unions of cooperative (under the Cooperative Law 2012).

- Procedures for loan: Continuing improvement towards simplified, easy to deploy, suitable for households, farms, family farms, cooperatives, unions of cooperatives, cooperative groups...

- Extending lending term for rice producers with preferential interest rates (not seasonally); freezing debts as well as providing new loans for farmers in order that they have not to sell early rice.

- Considering the guarantee for freezing and rescheduling debts of farming households and businesses, as well as continuing provision of new loans for them based on the value of livestock and transforming from short-term loans into medium-term and long-term.

- There should be specific policies of non-mortgage loan for households previously farming catfish (not now) if these households have a good farming plan and be ensured to consume products by the partnership enterprises.

Implementing some preferential loan programs

- Loan for production and business of rice; loan for implement of transforming plants on rice land; recultivating coffee.

- Loan for support livestock production: Continuing implementation and obstacle removal of loan policy for livestock and aquaculture according to Dispatch No. 1149/TTg-KTN dated August 8th 2012 by Prime Minister.

- Loan for development of production in the form of partnership and cooperation: Loan for chain production development regulated in Decision No. 62/2013/QD-TTg.

- Loan through cooperatives, representative organizations of farmers in large-scale production partnership and cooperation such as cooperatives, representative organizations acting as an intermediary, legally responsible for loan.

- Loan supporting storage, processing to reduce post-harvest losses: To implement Decision No. 68/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on supporting the reduction of losses after harvest in agricultural production, the State Bank of Vietnam would lend organizations and individuals to purchase machinery and equipment.

c. Some investment proposals

- Program of reservoir safety: In 2013, the Prime Minister agreed the principle of supporting some construction works of reservoir safety under the supporting criteria of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, in which maximum support from the central budget is not more than 15 billion dong per project. With 97 projects supported according to Dispatch No. 1383/TTg-KTTH dated August 30^th2013 by the Prime Minister, it has just been supported with 525 billion dong (average is 5.5 billion dong per project) from the advance sources of central budget. They need additional support of about 800 billion dong according to the norm.

At the Resolution No. 62/2013/QH13 dated November 27^th 2013 by the National Assembly on strengthening management of the construction planning, investment, operation and exploitation of hydro-power plants, the National Assembly assigned the Government “In 2014, to review generally the dams, irrigation and hydro-power reservoirs of the whole country; have plan, solution and allocate enough fund to repair, upgrade the dams and reservoirs that may cause unsafe”.

Therefore, the Prime Minister is proposed to allocate source to refund the advanced one under Dispatch No. 1383/TTg-KTTH, add fund to complete the unfinished constructions and continue supporting new ones, to gradually overcome the unsafe of the current dam and reservoir system, ensuring life, political security and production development of people downstream of the dams.

Additional suggested fund: 1,500 billion dong (excluding refund, from the central surplus budget revenue in 2013 or the central budget reserve in 2014).

- Building and strengthening embankments, riverain and coastal land, controlling erosion, protecting production and people’s lives. Currently, the needed fund for urgent embankment constructions is about 20,000 billion dong, including about 8,000 billion dong for the constructions with investment guideline approved by the Prime Minister.

- Proposing the Prime Minister to allocate from the central surplus budget revenue in 2013 or the central budget reserve in 2014 about 1,000 billion dong to continue supporting some constructions which are unfinished or have had investment guideline approved by the Prime Minister./. 

ESTIMATE OF FISHERY PRODUCTION OF THE FIRST QUARTER 2014

                        Unit: 1000 tons

Ministry of Planning and Investment