Vietnam Prioritizes 'Green-Digital' Export Overhaul
Vietnam is intensifying its focus on industrial and trade modernization, with a national policy push toward a "green-digital" transformation for its export sector. The strategy includes stronger policy support for agri-food exports and the integration of digital supply chain solutions, positioning Vietnamese competitors to offer enhanced traceability and sustainability credentials.
- Under its rice export market strategy to 2030, Vietnam aims to reduce the proportion of low- and medium-grade white rice to just 10% of exports, while increasing fragrant, specialty, and high-value rice products to 55%. By 2030, the goal is for 40% of exported rice to be sold under a national brand. - A key initiative is the "One Million Hectare" program for high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta, which has already certified 71,000 tonnes. One company participating in the program exported its first 500-tonne batch of low-emission rice to Japan at $820 per tonne, nearly double the price of typical varieties. - Vietnam launched a national digital traceability system in late 2025, which will be mandatory for all agricultural exports by July 1, 2027. The system uses QR codes to provide consumers and importers with data on a product's origin, harvest dates, and distribution journey. - The recent lifting of India's rice export ban in early 2025 caused the price of 5% broken rice from both Vietnam and Thailand to drop by 38-45%. Vietnamese officials state they do not compete directly with India's lower-grade rice, as Vietnam focuses on premium markets in Asia like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. - To meet sustainability demands, farmers adopting the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard have reduced production costs by 12% through lower fertilizer and pesticide use. Some farmers have cut seed use from 200kg to 60kg per hectare, saving approximately €105 per hectare. - The government is investing $1.2 billion into digital agriculture initiatives, including the use of blockchain for traceability and smartphone apps that help farmers optimize water use through "Alternate Wetting and Drying" techniques. - The Philippines is Vietnam's largest rice market, accounting for 38.4% of its rice exports, followed by Indonesia (18.1%) and China (12.5%). Strong demand is also noted from Ghana and other African nations.
