Agriculture Growth after 30 Years of Renovation – Necessity for a New Thought on Rice Cultivated Land for Exports and Food Security

Over the past 30 years of renovation, Vietnam’s agriculture has grown sharply in the first phase, agro-product exports have brought about a substantial source of foreign currencies and the agricultural sector has become an important basis for the industrialization economy. However, the agricultural economic structure has been slowed down gradually and there have been signals of slowdown in both speed and growth sustainability, the quality of agricultural development has exposed more shortcomings regarding the structure, competitive capacity and product quality. Over the past 30 years, the rice sector has grown sharply in quantity and has become a pillar not only for the agriculture and rural sector, but also for the whole economy to be secured for the industrialization and integration. The growth in rice production has enabled Vietnam to become a rice export power. However, the perspective on sustaining a constant rice production to ensure the food security or bulk exports may have to pay a price regarding the more expensive opportunity cost when a large area of land needs to be used for rice production. The calculation on transferring a part of the land resource as well as an open policy on the rural land will create a new motivation for agriculture and rural development. Nonetheless, there must be strategic calculation on the emerging of food demand from China as well as unofficial trade forms (gray-trade forms) to work out effective policies and institutions.