Hanoi (VNA) - The agriculture, forestry and fishery sector continued to post positive results in the third quarter and the first nine months of 2026, maintaining its role as a key pillar of the economy, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance.

The sector grew an estimated 4.21% year-on-year in the third quarter, significantly higher than the 3.6% recorded in the third quarter of 2024 and 3.71% in the third of 2025, Dau Ngoc Hung, head of the NSO’s agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics division, said at a press conference in Hanoi on October 3 to release socio-economic statistics for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2026.

In the first nine months, the sector expanded 4.02%, the highest nine-month growth rate since 2019, he added.

The performance reflected relatively broad-based growth, with fisheries, livestock farming and perennial crops emerging as key drivers. These areas helped the sector continue to underpin the economy, safeguard food security and contribute to exports, Hung said.

Fisheries recorded strong growth, with output value estimated to rise 5.19% in the third quarter and 4.99% in the nine-month period. The result was driven mainly by robust aquaculture, increased use of high technology and the expansion of intensive, super-intensive and marine farming models.

In the first nine months, brackish-water shrimp production reached 940,800 tonnes, up 8.3%, while tilapia and marine farming increased 10.2% and 10.4%, respectively. Fisheries accounted for about 28% of the sector’s overall nine-month growth.

Livestock production also maintained solid momentum as pig and poultry herds expanded in scale and output, supported by a shift towards farm-based, concentrated production, value-chain linkages and enhanced biosecurity. Livestock output value rose an estimated 5.13% in the third quarter and 4.92% in the first nine months, contributing more than 25% to the sector’s overall growth.

Perennial crops also performed well, with fruit output benefiting from expanded cultivation of high-value crops, improved productivity and quality, and the development of production-area codes to facilitate domestic sales and exports.

Output value from perennial crops grew an estimated 4.49% in third quarter and 4.91% in the nine-month period, accounting for around 21% of the sector’s overall growth.

Annual crops and forestry, meanwhile, remained a stable foundation for the sector. Although rice cultivation area declined, higher yields and output helped ensure food security and meet domestic and export demand. Increased timber production also helped secure raw materials for the processing and export industries

Exports remained an important growth driver, with the value of agricultural, forestry and fishery exports reaching 39.1 billion USD in the first nine months, up 3.7% year-on-year. A recovery in domestic consumer demand also provided additional support for production.

However, the sector continues to face challenges, including lower prices for some agricultural products, high input costs for animal feed, seeds, fertilisers and crop protection products, and persistent disease risks. Extreme weather, storms, drought and saltwater intrusion could also affect production in the final months of the year.

Besides, rising requirements in export markets for quality, food safety and traceability are placing additional pressure on producers and businesses.

Therefore, the NSO recommended that localities maintain stable production, strengthen disease control, reduce input costs, develop certified raw-material areas, expand value-chain linkages and improve processing quality. They should also closely monitor market developments and support domestic sales and exports to sustain the sector’s positive growth momentum, it said./.