The northern region has research institutes, universities, scientific expertise and technology businesses. However, links between research and production, technology transfer and practical application remain limited.
A conference in Hanoi on October 27 discussed the agricultural sector's shift from growth driven mainly by production scale and output to a model based on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. It was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Public Security.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung said the sector had maintained positive growth despite global uncertainties, intensifying trade competition, stricter green standards and traceability requirements, increasingly unpredictable natural disasters, and climate change.
In the first nine months of 2026, agriculture, forestry and fisheries grew 4.02%, while exports of their products reached 56.3 billion USD, up 7.8% year on year. Advances in plant and animal varieties, biotechnology, mechanisation, preservation, processing and traceability helped improve productivity, quality and production efficiency.
Hung said the sector must shift from growth based mainly on production scale and output to a model based on science, technology, innovation and digital transformation. The aim is to improve productivity, quality, efficiency and value added under Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science and technology development, innovation and national digital transformation.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Dang Ngoc Diep said that during 2027–2030, the sector needs to move from a growth model based mainly on scale and output to one focused on high technology, deeper processing and higher value added.
The first priority is to change how scientific and technological tasks are designed, focusing on specific problems in each sector, value chain and locality. The sector should prioritise mastering core and strategic technologies and link research with practical application and socio-economic efficiency.
It also needs to develop value chains for key agricultural products based on each region's strengths, improve quality, reduce input costs and post-harvest losses, promote deep processing, use by-products and build brands. Strengthening links between raw-material areas, research centres, processing businesses, logistics systems and consumer markets was also identified as important.
Digital transformation is another priority. The sector plans to standardise and connect databases covering land, plant varieties, farming areas, forests, diseases, output, product quality, traceability and markets. Diep said performance should be assessed through measurable results, including higher productivity and value added, lower costs and emissions, reduced post-harvest losses and wider commercialisation.
During 2021–2025, the sector carried out 1,373 science and technology tasks. A total of 225 new crop, livestock, aquaculture and forestry varieties were recognised and introduced into production, alongside 150 technical advances and 158 patents and useful solutions. More than 2,000 models for high-tech, circular and low-emission agriculture were also deployed. They delivered reported economic gains of around 10–30%.
In the North, notable results include high-quality and cold-resistant rice varieties, biomass maize varieties and technology for producing an African swine fever vaccine.
The sector has also developed 25 specialised databases and information systems directly connected to 12 national databases. They provide a foundation for more effective management and technology-driven agricultural production.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
