Agricultural production grows steadily in May

In May 2025, agricultural activities focused on tending to the winter-spring rice crop in northern provinces, harvesting rice and other winter-spring crops, and planting summer-autumn rice in the southern regions. Pig and poultry farming showed notable growth. Forestry activities, including tree planting and timber harvesting, proceeded as planned. Aquaculture remained stable, while marine fishing increased thanks to the onset of the southern fishing season.

Statistics reveal that the total area sown for the 2025 winter-spring rice crop nationwide reached 2.97 million hectares, an increase of 17,000 hectares compared to the 2024 crop. This was largely due to expanded planting in the southern regions.

Alongside rice cultivation, various localities also sowed other crops. However, the area planted for maize, soybeans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes continued to decline compared to the same period in 2024, mainly due to low economic returns.

Buffalo farming declined due to low profitability, reduced grazing land, and long rearing cycles, which discouraged restocking. Cattle farming saw a slight decrease compared to last year. Meanwhile, pig and poultry farming performed well thanks to effective disease control and favourable product prices. Domestic demand remained stable, and government support policies, such as access to quality breeding stock, animal feed, and preferential loans, helped encourage restocking and production expansion.

As of May 27, 2025, there were no outbreaks of blue ear disease, avian influenza, or foot-and-mouth disease nationwide. However, lumpy skin disease persisted in Quang Ngai Province, and African swine fever remained in 18 localities for fewer than 21 days.

In May 2025, the estimated area of newly planted concentrated forests nationwide was 34,300 hectares, up 13.9% year-on-year. In the first five months of 2025, this figure reached approximately 113,700 hectares, an increase of 13.6% compared to the same period in 2024.

The area of forest damage in May 2025 was 122.3 hectares, a 40.3% decrease from the same month last year. Cumulatively for the first five months of the year, damaged forest areas totalled 603.8 hectares, down 7.4% compared to the same period in 2024.

According to statistical data, the total aquaculture output in May 2025 was estimated at 828,200 tonnes, a 3.4% increase year-on-year. Of this, aquaculture production reached 455,200 tonnes, up 4.7% from the previous year. Pangasius (tra fish) output rose thanks to stable raw fish prices, ensuring adequate supplies for processing and export. The estimated tra fish yield for the month was 163,400 tonnes, a 5.4% increase from the same period in 2024.

Marine fishing output was estimated at 373,000 tonnes, a 1.8% increase year-on-year, due to favourable weather, the start of the southern fishing season, and an abundance of fish, which motivated fishermen to intensify offshore fishing. Of this, sea-based catches accounted for 357,700 tonnes, up 1.8% compared to May 2024.