According to the General Statistics Office, agricultural, forestry and fisheries production remained stable in the third quarter of 2022, although affected by unstable weather and high input prices.

RICE PRODUCTION REDUCES BOTH yield and yield

As for rice production, the country’s winter rice cultivation area reached 1,505.3 thousand hectares in mid-September 2022, accounting for 100.2% of the same period last year, of which the northern provinces reached 1,023.8 thousand hectares, accounting for 98.3%. the southern provinces reached 481.5 thousand ha, which is 104.3%.

The winter rice acreage in the north this year is smaller than the same period last year, mainly because the economic efficiency of rice cultivation is not high and people are reducing the acreage.

The country’s summer-autumn rice crop this year covered 1,915.6 thousand hectares, a decrease of 38.6 thousand hectares compared to last year’s summer-autumn crop, of which the decrease is mainly in the Mekong River Delta with 32 .9 thousand hectares was recorded due to higher input costs People reduced the sowing area and converted inefficient, low-yield paddy fields into fruit trees, grass cultivation or aquaculture for high economic efficiency.

As of September 15, 2022, communities have harvested 1,830.1 thousand hectares of summer-autumn rice, accounting for 95.5% of the acreage and 100.3% of the same period last year, of which the Mekong Delta has harvested 1,440.7 thousand hectares for 97.6% and equal to 100.6%.

According to local reports, the country’s summer-autumn rice yield is estimated at 56.4 quintals/ha, down 0.6 quintals/ha compared to the summer-autumn harvest in 2021; Production reached 10.8 million tons, down 340,000 tons.

The Mekong Delta region has planted 574,000 hectares of fall-winter rice, up 93.7% of the same period last year due to heavy rains, causing people to temporarily lay the land dormant and open fields to preserve alluvial soil to focus on the prepare for winter harvest. Spring 2022-2023 is coming.

The agricultural sector has instructed communities to promote mechanization, synchronously apply technical advances and advanced agricultural practices to reduce production costs; weather, pest and disease monitoring; Supporting and encouraging people to use high quality varieties of rice.

In addition to growing rice, places across the country are planting cash crops. Most of the cash crop acreage has declined compared to the same period last year due to unfavorable weather conditions, flooding in many areas along with the economic efficiency of crops such as corn, sweet potatoes and peanuts, according to farmers reducing production.

The production of some major industrial crops in the first nine months of 2022 increased compared to the same period last year. Therein: tea buds reached 891.9 thousand tons, up 0.7%; rubber reached 841.3 thousand tons, up 3.2%; Pepper reached 267.6 thousand tons, up 0.5%. The production of some fruit trees has increased quite well: bananas reached 1,832.5 thousand tons, up 4.7% compared to the same period last year; oranges reached 989.6 thousand tons, up 10.1%; Mango reached 812.4 thousand tons, up 3.3%; Longan reached 531.7 thousand tons, up 3.5%; Grapefruit reached 527.8 thousand tons, up 6%.

Dragon fruit alone reached 701.1 thousand tons, down 9.6% due to lower selling price and low export volume, so people didn’t care; Many dragon fruit orchards have reached old age and people have not replanted them.

FAVORITE AQUATIC cultivation and consumption

Regarding the livestock sector, the General Bureau of Statistics said pig and poultry production is recovering quickly due to the disease’s well-controlled, proactive breeding source and increased market demand.

However, the livestock industry continues to face difficulties due to high feed prices, especially for small farmers. Farmers need to use available materials to partially replace industrial feeds while continuing to build the supply chain from farm to fork.

In terms of forestry production, the area of ​​newly planted forests nationwide was estimated at 71.3 thousand hectares in the third quarter of 2022, an increase of 5% compared to the same period last year; The number of scattered forest trees reached 23.5 million trees, up 4.1%.

In the first nine months of 2022, the area of ​​newly planted forest is estimated at 191.2 thousand hectares, 4.1% more than in the same period last year; The number of scattered forest trees reached 70.4 million trees, up 5.4%.

The production of harvested timber increased sharply compared to the same period last year as the forest reached the age of exploitation, the price of timber rose and demand for raw timber for processing plants was restored. In particular, the production of wood in the third quarter reached 5,216.6 thousand m3, an increase of 6.6% compared to the third quarter of 2021. In addition, the production of firewood reached 4.4 million steres, an increase of 0.2%.

Information on the fisheries sector, the General Statistics Office said fisheries production in the third quarter was estimated at 2,406,000 tons, up 2.8% from the same period last year.

The aquaculture production in the third quarter was estimated at 1,343.5 thousand tons, up 6.9% from the same period last year. In the first nine months of 2022, aquaculture production was estimated at 3,611.2 thousand tons, an increase of 7.2% compared to the same period last year. Including: fish reached 2,415.6 thousand tons, up 6.5%; shrimp reached 777.6 thousand tons, up 10.4%; Other aquatic products reached 418,000 tons, up 5.5%.

Pangasius farming is doing quite well as the price of raw pangasius in the Mekong Delta has increased in recent months and demand on the world market has also increased. Pangasius production in the third quarter was estimated at 367,000 tonnes, up 10.1% over the same period; in the first 9 months it reached 1,139.5 thousand tons, up 10.9%.

The price of farmed shrimp is high and kept at a stable level, the farmers are profitable, and the use of high technology in white leg shrimp farming still brings high economic efficiency. Black tiger shrimp production reached 84.2 thousand tons in the third quarter, up 2.3% over the same period last year; The production of white leg shrimp reached 233.3 thousand tons, an increase of 10.9%.

In the first 9 months of 2022, the production of black tiger shrimp reached 202.1 thousand tons, an increase of 2.4% compared to the same period last year; The production of white leg shrimp reached 533,000 tons, an increase of 14.3%.

Fishery production in the third quarter was estimated at 1,062.5 thousand tons, down 1.9% from the same period last year. In general, the catch of fisheries production in the first nine months of this year was estimated at 2,991.6 thousand tons, down 2.4% compared to the same period last year.

Due to high fuel prices together with unfavorable weather conditions in fishing grounds due to the influence of storms and tropical depressions, fishermen restrict going out to sea or allow their vessels to remain on land, which led to the fact that the sea catches reached 2,850.1 thousand tons on May 9, 2022 . 2.5% less than the same period in 2021.