Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) is a governmental agency performing state management functions in the fields of agriculture, forestry, salt production, fishery, irrigation/water services and rural development nationwide, including state management functions with regard to delivery of public service in accordance with legal documents.

II. Tasks and authorities: 

MARD performs its tasks and authorities based on Decree No.178/2007/ND-CP dated 3^rd, December, 2007 issued by the Government on stipulation of functions, mandates, authorities and organization structure of Ministries, equal-to-ministry agencies and conduct specific tasks and authorities as follows:

1. Submit to the Government legal projects, draft resolutions of the National Assembly, ordinances, draft resolutions of National Assembly Standing Board; draft resolutions, decrees based on approved programs, annual law plans of MARD and projects assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister.

2. Submit to the Prime Minister the development master plans and strategies; annual, five-year and long term plans as well as key programs and projects within the Ministry’s mandated areas.

3. Issue decisions, directives, and circulars within the Ministry’s mandated areas; guide how to implement these documents and inspect the implementation process.

4.Guide, supervise and organize the implementation of legal documents, strategies, master plans, programs, projects, standards, techno-economic norms relating to agriculture, forestry, salt industry, fishery, irrigation/water services and rural development. Disseminate information and raise public awareness about regulations within areas covered by the Ministry’s mandated areas.

5.Agriculture (Crop production and animal husbandry):

a.Govern, guide implementation of agricultural development strategies upon approval of authorized agencies

b.Perform governance and guidance responsibilities for using state budget for prevention and overcoming programs of  plants and animals diseases; set up National Governing Board on prevention of plants and animals diseases and make an announcement of dcontagious outbreaks possibly infect people; standard for plants and animals quarantine; practise certificate and conditions for pesticides, veterinary drugs;

c.Announce and perform governance, guidance, inspection and making comprehensive reports responsibilities for implementation of strategies, master plans, agricultural development plans approved nationwide.

d.Perform governance responsibilities for crops and livestock breeds; cultivation, livestock breeds, harvest, storage techniques and make annual assessment reports on crops production and livestock breeds;

e.Perform governance responsibilities for setting up and inspect master plans of crop and livestock breeds regions, safe production of agricultural products; plans of using, protecting and improving fertility of agricultural land; prevent erosion, desertification and landslide;

f.Announce list of crops and livestock genes, issue certificates for genes exploitation and using; exchange valuable and rare crops and livestock genes; issue list of major crops, list of seedlings, list of livestock breeds that could be commercially produced and traded; list of valuable and rare crops and livestock genes needed to be conserved; list of crops and livestock breeds not allowed for export or allowed to be exchanged; allow import of seedlings and livestock breeds that are not in the list; issue national standards of seeds classification, multiplication and restoration process of purely genuine breed; production process of short-term industrial, fruit trees, ornamentals and other crops.

g.Issue norm and process of experiment, chosing and creating new crops and livestock breeds; make a dicision on approval, issuance or termination of certificates of protection of new crops and livestock;

h.Regulate management, production, trade and using fertilizers; test and approve new fertilizers; issue quality standards of fertilizers; issue national standards of fertilizers.

i.Regulate management, production, trade and using animal feed; test and approve animal feed and ingridents used in animal feed production; issue list of animal feed;

k.Guide import and export of crop seedlings, animal breeds, fertilizers and animal feeds.

l.Plant protection:

       - Forecast invasive species; make decisions on making announcements of invasive species in up from 2 provinces and report to the Prime Minister; guide outbreak blocks and cancel outbreak announcement;

       - Announce list of plant quarantine; organize quarantine activities for exported and imported plants; issue certificate and conditions for pesticide trade; make decisions on destroy pesticide or return to its origin;

       - Regulate experiment and registration of new pesticides, issue certificate for experiment; announce list of possibly used pesticides,  restricted or prohibited pesticides;

       - Guide import and export of pesticides, ingredients of pesticides.

m.Veterinary for animal (including in fishery)

       - Set up and govern implementation of strategies, master plans and plans of prevention animal diseases nationwide;

       - Regulate conditions, procedures for approval and guide setting up animal disease resistant regions nationwide. Issue list of disease needed to announce outbreaks, list of dangerous animal diseases, list of diseases that should be applied preventive solutions;

       - Forecast animal diseases; decide to announce outbreaks and outbreak region of up from 2 provinces, compulsory preventive measures for animals, handling infected animals and animal products, disinfection. Announce free of outbreaks and cancel outbreak announcement. 

       - Issue list of animal and animal products quarantine;

       - Regulate process and procedures of animal quarantine and handling measures for animal, animal products, transportation means, tools that do not satisfied hygiene requirements.

       - Guide and inspect implementation of regulations, standards of animal quarantine for import and export;

       - Regulate procedures and process of animal slaughter, seals, inspection mark of animal quarantine; list of animal and procedures and process of hygiene veterinary inspection; regulate research, experiment, registration procedures, approval veterinary produced in Vietnam.

       - Issue national standards of hygiene veterinary, veterinary medicine.

6.Forestry:

a.Perform governance responsibilities for implementation of regulations issued by the Government, the Prime Minister on forestation, forest resource development, valuable, rare and endangered plants and animals protection and preservation; forest management regulations;

b.Announce and govern, inspect, evaluate and make comprehensive reports on implementation of strategies, master plans, forestry protection and development plans approved nationwide;

c.Appraise master plans of province’s or city’s forestry protection and development;

d.Guide, govern inspection, identification border line of various kinds of forestry, inventory forestry, monitor natural resources in forestry, land for growing forestry, file forestry management documents, make  reports on forestry situation and forestry inventory.

e.Regulate criteria for forestry classification

f.Guide integrated production of agriculture, forestry, fishery in defence forestry, socio – economic cost norms and measure of forestry development;  issue list of valuable, rare and endangered forestry plant and animal gene that could be exploited and used; issue list of major forestry plants; list of seedlings could be produced and traded, list of forestry plants prohibited export; issue national standards of seed classification, multiplication and restoration of purely genuine seed; issue experiment regulations; make a decision on approval, issue or terminate protection documents of new forestry seedlings; guide import and export of forestry seedlings;

g.Issue, monitor, inspect implementation of regulations and process of nurturing, improving forestry and forestry product exploitation; regulate prohibited regulations in tourism business in function and defence forestry;

h.Guide and govern forestry handing over, rent, reclaim, change use of forestry

i.Perform governance responsibilities for forestry rangers

k.Take the leading role in Anti – desertification national action program

l.Perform governance responsibilities for fire forestry and other disaster forecast, for deploying preventive and restore measure, prevent deforestation, mitigate fire forest consequences.

7.Salt production: 

a.Perform governance responsibilities for implementation of salt production regulations and strategies upon approval of powered authorities;

b.Announce and perform governance, guidance, inspection and making comprehensive reports responsibilities for implementation of strategies, master plans, salt production development plans approved nationwide.

c.Govern technique production and harvest and make annual comprehensive assessment reports on production;

d.Regulate and inspect implementation of national technical standards, production, processing and preservation of salt and salt products.

8.Fishery

a.Perform governance responsibilities for implementation of salt production regulations and strategies upon approval of powered authorities;

b.Govern and guide following criteria of classification of species conservation areas, management decentralization for national and international conservation areas; regulations on fishery exploitation and protection upon approval of powered authorities;

c.Announce and perform governance, guidance, inspection and making comprehensive reports responsibilities for implementation of strategies, master plans, fishery development plans approved nationwide.

d.Guide and inspect implementation of provinces/central cities’ master plans of fishery exploitation, protection and development; regulations of classification of species conservation areas;

e.Govern aquaculture activities based on approved plans and master plans. Regulate import and export of fishery breeds, domesticate, conserve, select, develop breeds, approve new breeds, trade breeds; issue national technical standards and inspect breeds’ quality; set up and manage national breed and breed registration system;

f.Announce list of and national technical standards of feeds, ingredients of aquaculture feeds; drugs and chemicals used in aquaculture; regulate national technical standards of hygiene veterinary, environment protection in aquaculture; announce list of drugs and chemicals could be used or prohibited, restricted in aquaculture;

g.Announce list of fishery species prohibited exploitation and time of no exploitation; exploitation measures, fishery tools prohibited or restricted; species, minimum size of fishery species could be exploited, exploitation seasons; exploitation – prohibited areas, exploitation – restricted areas; fishery species prohibited import and export;

h.Regulate list of fishery species needed to be conserved, protected, regenerated; environment protection measures for fishery ecosystem, gene stock and fishery biodiversity conservation;

i.Guide fishery activities of Vietnamese people and organizations, foreign people and organizations; management decentralization for fishery regions and areas;

k.Govern, guide and inspect implementation of approved regulations on power decentralization in issuance, calling in Fishery certificate. Regulate issuance and call – in process of the certificate;

l.Regulate national technical standards of quality, technical safety and environment protection of fishery vessels/boats;

m.Issue regulations on fishery harbor management, fishery mechanics development, fishery tools and net production, develop focal fishery markets based on approved master plans;

n.Issue, monitor, inspect implementation of national technical standards, processes, socio – economic cost norms in aquaculture, fishery harbor and market development and protection; aquaculture feed producing plants, fishery processing plants, fishery vessel/boat building plants;

o.Make decisions on building up, upgrading aquaculture areas, fishery harbor and market with state fund provided through the MARD.

9.Water resources:

a.Govern, guide implementation of legal documents of water resources, dykes; prevent sanitation effects;

b.Govern, guide implementation of water resource strategies and master plans; strategies of natural disaster mitigation upon approval of the Prime Minister;

c.Take a leading role in setting up water resource master plans of reservoirs serving agriculture and socio – economic sectors;

d.Approve master plans of dike and hydraulic works related to up from 2 provinces serving prevention of flush flooding, floods, drought, sanitation, landslides along riversides and coastal areas, water supply and drainage in rural areas;

e.Announce and perform governance, guidance, inspection and making comprehensive reports responsibilities for implementation of strategies, master plans, fishery development plans approved nationwide.

d.Propose to the Prime Minister and mobilize materials, tools for prevention and effects mitigation of floods, droughts, waterlooging, solve incidents of hydraulic works; govern slowing floods, operate big reservoirs based on assignation and decentralization;

e.Govern decentralization for provincial People’s committees on approval of water resource and dike master plans and flood prevention master plans within provincial area;

f.Issue, monitor and inspect implementation of national technical standards, processes, socio – economic cost norms in building, exploitation and protection of water resource works and dike system,  floods, typhoons, waterlogging, drought and water supply and drainage in rural areas;

g.Regulate loading capacity and transportation certificate for vehicles moving in dikes;

h.Govern, guide, inspect implementation of specific regulations on emergency situation needed to slow floods, safe emigration; ensure people’s lives and production, subsidize people;

i. Make decisions on investment in, upgrading and consolidating dikes, hydraulic works in mandated areas nationwide with state fund provided through the Minister.

10. Rural development:

a. Take a leading role in submitting proposals to Government rural development policies, appraisal assignation and decentralization of programs, projects related to emigration and resettlement in rural areas;

b. Synthesize and submit the Prime Minister for approval of plans of economic structure transformation and comprehensive program of rural development; development strategies of rural sector and trade village; govern, guide and inspect implementation of strategies, master plans, programs upon approval;

c. Synthesize and submit mechanism, policies of encouraging, supporting household’s economy development, rural farm’s economy development, agricultural, forestry, fishery, salt production farm;

d. Guide, govern, inspect implementation of settlement, emigration, resettlement in agriculture and rural areas based on master plans of national socio – economic development;

e. Govern and manage programs, projects or components of hunger elimination and poverty reduction programs, programs of building up new rural areas assigned by the Government;

f. In cooperation with other ministries, sectors and localities in governance of building up settlement areas; implementation of rural infrastructure programs assigned by the Government;

11. Govern implementation and manage programs, investment projects, national important programs in sectors within the ministry’s mandated areas assigned by the Government;

12. In terms of processing, preserving, transporting, trading agricultural, forestry,  fishery products:

a. Govern, guide implementation of processing development master plans, programs, strategies that attached to commodities’ production and market within state management area of the ministry; development policies of sectors, trade and craft villages;

b. Issue national technical standards of food safety, environment hygiene in cultivation, breeding, aquaculture, harvest, processing, preservation, transportation until agro-forestry, fishery and salt products enter to markets;

c. Issue national technical standards, technical process and announce list of additives, chemicals could be used in ingredients, agro-forestry, fishery and salt products preservation;

d. Guide transportation, export and import of agro-forestry, fishery and salt products;

13. Manage national reserve of seedlings, animal breeds, pesticides, veterinary medicine and other goods assigned by the government.

14. Govern scientific research and extension activities in cultivation, husbandry, forestry, fishery, irrigation, salt production, processing, preservation of agro-forestry, salt products and rural trade and careers.

15. In terms of quality and food hygiene and safety management of agro-forestry, fishery and salt products:

a. Guide application of food hygiene and safety system: Good manufacturing practices (GMP), Good aquaculture practices (GAP), code of conduct (CoC), Good hygiene practices (GHP) and hazard analysis critical control point/rick management – HACCP/RM in production, processing and transportation;

b. Govern monitoring, inspect antibiotic, harmful and poisonous chemicals and pathogenous factors for animals and plants before harvest in raw – processing, preserving, processing, transporting; control animal slaughter and conduct hygienic veterinary activities;

c. Issue regulations, technical standards of food quality and safety, disease – resistance, safe environment in production, preservation, processing and before entrance to market;

d. Govern inspection, approval, termination of approval of sufficient conditions for food safety in plants, aquaculture areas, harvest, purchase, transportation, preservation, raw – processing, processing agro-forestry, fishery and salt products;

d. Govern approval of food quality and hygien safety for imported agro-forestry, fishery and salt products, domestically – produced products for export before market distribution;

e. Govern, inspect issuance of quarantine certificate for imported and exported alive animal or flora and fauna products could bear pathogens; inspect import or  domestic production of food, veterinary medicine, fertilizers, chemicals used in animal breeding, cultivation, agro-forestry activities, fishery and salt production based on decentralization.

16. Protect agricultural and rural environment: guide, and inspect legal issues on environment protection and other decisions on production, exports, chemicals use, plant protectioPerform governance responsibilities for activities of association and non-government organizations in the domain of the Ministry in accordance with legal documents.

17. Make efforts to inspect, check and deal with complaints, denunciations, corruptive and red-tape behaviors, and violation of law in the areas of agriculture, forestry, salt production, water resources and rural development in accordance with legal documents.

18. Make decision on and steer the implementation of the Public Administrative Reform (PAR) program of the Ministry as required to meet the objectives and contents set out under the PAR Master Program approved by the Prime Minister.

19. Implement the regular tasks and duties of: 

a) the Central Standing Committee on Flood and Typhoon Control;

b) forest protection, forest-fire prevention and anti-desertification;

c) the On-line Office of the Mekong Committee of Vietnam;

d) control of cross-border trafficking of seriously endangered wild animal and plans.

e) implementation of the National Program for Food Security in accordance with legal documents.

20. Manage the Ministry’s organization and staffing, particularly guiding: 

a) implementation of the charter for salary and other staff beneficiary policies;

b) rewards for and disciplinary action against civil servants under the management of the Ministry;

c) training and human resource development of civil servants in the domain of agriculture, forest, salt production, water resources and rural development.

21. Manage financial resources and assets assigned to the Ministry and organize the implementation of allocated budgets in accordance with legal documents.

III. Organization structure
1. Planning Department
2. Finance Department
3. Science, Technology and Environment Department
4. International Cooperation Department
5. Legislation Department
6. Organization and Personel Department
7. Ministry Inspectorate
8. Ministry Administrative Office
9. Vietnam Forest Administration Office
10. Directorate of Fisheries
11. Directorate of Water Resources
12. Department of Crop Production
13. Department of Plant Protection
14. Department of Livestock Husbandry
15. Department of Animal Health
16. Department of Processing and Trade for Agro-forestry-Fisheries Products and Salt Production
17. Department of Construction Management
18. Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development
19. National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department
20. Centre for Informatics and Statistics
21. National Centre for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation
22. National Centre for Agriculture and Fisheries Extension
23. Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper
24. Vietnam Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development
 

Title	Full name
Minister	Nguyen Xuan Cuong
Deputy Minister	Ha Cong Tuan
Deputy Minister	Hoang Van Thang
Deputy Minister	Vu Van Tam
Deputy Minister	Le Quoc Doanh
Deputy Minister	Tran Thanh Nam

Address: No. 2 Ngoc Ha St., Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi

Tel: 04 38468161

Fax: 04 38454319