Speaking at the opening of VietShrimp Asia 2026 and Aquaculture Vietnam 2026 on March 18, Le Viet Binh, Deputy Chief of Office at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) are key drivers for improving competitiveness and ensuring sustainable development.

He said the sector continues to play a central role in the agricultural economy, with output reaching nearly 10 million tonnes and export turnover hitting US$11.3 billion in 2025, up more than 12% year on year. Growth continues in 2026, with output of 1.28 million tonnes and exports of US$1.76 billion in the first two months, up 23%.

However, the main bottleneck comes from input costs, climate change, and increasingly strict requirements from international markets on traceability, supply chain transparency and sustainability.

Removing the EU’s IUU yellow card remains an urgent task, with the ministry and localities working with an inspection mission in March 2026.

In this context, he said the sector needs strong transformation in both production and governance, with a focus on restructuring towards ecological and circular models while accelerating the application of advanced technologies.

At the same time, developing sustainable farming areas, improving seed quality, controlling environmental conditions and advancing digital transformation across the value chain provide a foundation for expanding markets and strengthening Vietnam’s position globally.

Applying AI, big data, sensors and automation helps monitor farming environments in real time, forecast disease risks early and optimise production processes, thus helping raise productivity, reduce costs and improve traceability, thereby sharpening competitiveness, he said.

Seafood sector targets US$11.5 billion in exports in 2026

Vietnam’s seafood sector will continue to reduce capture fisheries while expanding aquaculture in a sustainable, climate-resilient manner to enhance competitiveness, with a strong focus on shifting from a production mindset to a fisheries economy and from single-value growth to integrated multi-value development.

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