Hai Phong plans to allocate about VND 375 billion annually during the 2026–2030 period to support its agriculture and fisheries sectors.
By aggressively loosening support policies, Hai Phong expects to create a strong boost for its agriculture and fisheries industries.
A “new breeze” from seven support mechanisms
To support agricultural production, in 2021, the Hai Phong People’s Council issued Resolution No. 15/2021/NQ-HĐND on mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of concentrated commercial agriculture and fisheries in Hai Phong for the 2022–2025 period. This resolution provided support in three areas: support for concentrated agricultural and fisheries production; support for quality certification; and preferential credit for businesses investing in agriculture and rural areas. However, after nearly three years of implementation, the actual effectiveness remained modest. Statistics show that only 13 concentrated production facilities and 93 quality certification establishments benefited, with total disbursed funding of just over VND 4.7 billion.
The main reason lies in the many shortcomings of the access criteria. The requirement of a minimum scale of 1 hectare for crop cultivation and fish farming excluded most small-scale producers, who make up the majority in Hai Phong. Conflicts between regulations on maximum area for aquaculture rafts and mollusk farming versus support eligibility also posed significant challenges. In particular, preferential credit policies were nearly blocked as many facilities failed to prove total investment capital. The interest rate support of 50% of farm construction costs was also too low to meet production development needs, making it insufficiently attractive.
Recognizing these barriers, the Hai Phong People's Committee submitted a breakthrough proposal to the People’s Council, increasing the number of support mechanisms from 3 to 7, with a fundamental shift in approach aimed at creating the most favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to invest and develop production. This move is expected to unlock investment flows and create strong momentum for this vital economic sector.
The proposed support policies include 100% interest rate support for loans for large-scale, concentrated commercial agriculture and fisheries production, with maximum loans of up to 70% of total investment. The maximum support amount also increases significantly to VND 600 million for crop production and VND 1 billion for aquaculture. There is support for certification of good agricultural practices (GAP), organic farming, and disease-safe livestock farming. There is support for smart agriculture and fisheries production linked to digital transformation, environmental protection policies in agricultural production, forestry development, and the "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program. In addition, there are regulations on the use of city budget capital to support businesses investing in agriculture and rural areas under Decree No. 57/2018/NĐ-CP.
Importantly, access conditions have been significantly loosened. The minimum area requirements will be adjusted to better match small-scale production realities. Loan interest support categories will also be expanded to all participants in cultivation, livestock, aquaculture, and fishing, including investments in greenhouses, net houses, and glasshouses of 1,000 m² or more, livestock farms with 200 pigs or 10,000 poultry, fishing vessels 15 meters or longer, and modern machinery and equipment.
Accordingly, the Hai Phong People's Committee plans to allocate about VND 375 billion annually during the 2026–2030 period to implement these policies.
Expectations for growth momentum
Mr. Nguyen Van An, Director of Hai Au Clean Agricultural Products Co., Ltd., said: "We, businesses engaged in high-tech agriculture in Hai Phong, are genuinely excited and highly appreciate the city’s strong initiative in proposing these new support mechanisms. Raising the mechanisms from 3 to 7, and especially loosening access conditions, is an extremely practical step that addresses the bottlenecks we have faced. Previously, the 1-hectare minimum area requirement was a major obstacle for our technology-based production models such as greenhouses and net houses. Adjusting the minimum area down to 1,000 m² for these facilities is a very reasonable change, allowing many small and medium enterprises to access preferential capital."
"Our company is also particularly interested in the policies supporting smart agriculture linked to digital transformation and environmental protection. These are key factors for building a sustainable, high-value agriculture sector in today’s context. Increasing interest support to 100% and raising the maximum loan to 70% of total investment is a significant financial boost. This will help us reduce capital cost pressures, boldly invest in modern equipment and advanced technology to improve productivity and product quality. With these positive changes, we believe more businesses will be confident to invest in high-tech, clean agriculture in Hai Phong," Mr. An added.
This is a strategic move, reflecting the long-term vision of Hai Phong’s leadership in building a modern agriculture sector, producing large-scale, high-tech, value-added commodities. This will be a major driver to realize the city’s goal of restructuring its agriculture sector and turning Hai Phong into a center for high-quality commodity agriculture production. The target is an average annual GRDP growth of 0.9% in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors, and an average income for workers in this field of about VND 558 million per person per year.