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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Southeast Asia is one of the world's leading agricultural regions.<\/p>\n
It has nurtured thousands of years of farming civilization against a backdrop of tropical monsoon climate and fertile delta zones. Vietnam in particular is an agricultural power of about 100 million people, with agriculture accounting for about 12% of GDP and more than 40% of the labor force. Annual rice output is about 43.5 million tonnes with export volume ranking second in the world; coffee output ranks second in the world after Brazil and is the largest for the Robusta variety; and cashew nuts and black pepper<\/a> it ranks first in the world, and for shrimp it boasts third place in output and second in exports.<\/p>\n Total agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports reached about US$53 billion in 2023, accounting for more than 15% of the country's total exports. Vietnamese agriculture is supported by the Red River Delta in the north and the Mekong Delta in the south, and the Mekong Delta is one of the world's leading production zones, responsible for more than half of the country's rice output. The Central Highlands is a major producing area for plantation crops such as coffee, tea, cacao, and pepper, and this region's contribution has been a large part of why Vietnam became a coffee power.<\/p>\n The 1986 Doi Moi policy<\/a> When land-use rights were granted to individual farmers and a market economy was introduced, agricultural production expanded greatly. In 1989 the country became a net rice exporter for the first time.<\/p>\n The strength of Vietnamese agriculture lies in a diverse production system that makes use of each region's characteristics.<\/p>\n The Mekong Delta is one of the world's leading production zones, responsible for more than half of the country's rice output. Thanks to fertile alluvial soil and abundant water resources, two to three crops a year are possible. Shrimp farming also thrives, supporting the record of third place in output and second in exports in the world.<\/p>\n However, because the elevation is low, there is also the challenge that the risks of saltwater intrusion and flooding grow greater year by year. A response to climate change is required.<\/p>\n The vast highlands at elevations of 200 to 2,500 m, centered on Dak Lak and Lam Dong provinces, are covered with volcanic red soil known as bazan soil, giving them an environment coffee growing<\/a> well suited to. Eighty percent of Vietnam's coffee production is concentrated in this Central Highlands region.<\/p>\n Coffee, brought in by the French at the end of the 1800s, found ideal conditions here and expanded rapidly. When the Vietnamese government led the start of large-scale Robusta cultivation in the 1980s, the country leapt to become the world's second-largest producer in just 20 years. Today, more than 90% of Vietnam's coffee output<\/a> is accounted for by the Robusta variety.<\/p>\n In recent years, the cultivation of high-quality Robusta known as \"fine Robusta\" has also begun. Fine Robusta, which goes through proper cultivation management and precise processing, has a distinctive flavor including floral aromas, and is sometimes traded at prices exceeding those of the Arabica variety.<\/p>\n In addition, the output of cashew nuts and black pepper<\/a> ranks first in the world, and the Central Highlands has become a region that symbolizes the diversity of Vietnamese agriculture.<\/p>\n The Red River Delta in the north is a traditional agricultural region with thousands of years of rice-farming history. Alongside the Mekong Delta, it supports the foundation of Vietnamese agriculture.<\/p>\n Source<\/b> Starbucks Coffee Japan, \"Coffee-Producing Regions\u2014A Journey Around the Coffee Belt\u2014(3) Asia-Pacific Edition\"<\/a> prepared from<\/p>\n In Southeast Asian agriculture, each country has its own strengths, contributing to the world's food supply.<\/p>\n Thailand is an export power in agricultural products and food, dubbed the \"kitchen of the world,\" with agriculture accounting for about 8-9% of GDP and about 30% of the population working in agriculture-related jobs. The farmland area per household averages about 3 hectares, and jasmine rice has earned high regard in international markets.<\/p>\n Natural rubber output and exports are among the largest in the world, and it is also among the world's top exporters of processed chicken. Thailand has the most developed institutional framework for organic farming in Southeast Asia, operating a certification system under the \"Thai organic agriculture standard.\"<\/p>\n Indonesia has ASEAN's largest population, about 280 million, and the largest land area, and is also the largest in ASEAN by agricultural output value. Palm oil<\/a> is the world's largest producer, and together with Malaysia it accounts for more than 85% of world output.<\/p>\n In coffee production it boasts the world's fourth-largest scale, and Arabica varieties with distinctive flavors\u2014such as \"Mandheling\" from Sumatra and \"Toraja\" from Sulawesi\u2014have earned high regard in international markets.<\/p>\n The Philippines holds one of the world's leading positions in banana exports, but it faces the challenge that nearly 20 typhoons approach or make landfall each year on average, bringing a high risk of severe damage to crops. As the only net rice importer in ASEAN, it carries a vulnerability in food security.<\/p>\n In Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos, agriculture still accounts for a high share of GDP and employment, making agriculture's importance to economic development stand out. In Laos, there are moves to make use of the \"latecomer's advantage\" that the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers was originally low, putting forward organic farming as a differentiation strategy in international markets.<\/p>\n Source<\/b> Sawai Coffee Co., Ltd., \"The Characteristics of the World's Coffee Beans\"<\/a> prepared from<\/p>\n The 1986 Doi Moi policy brought a major transformation to Vietnamese agriculture.<\/p>\n When the Doi Moi policy granted land-use rights to individual farmers and introduced a market economy, agricultural production expanded greatly. In 1989 the country became a net rice exporter for the first time, and output has continued to increase since.<\/p>\n Coffee production also expanded rapidly, leaping to become the world's second-largest producer in just 20 years. The production and export of diverse agricultural products such as cashew nuts, black pepper, and shrimp expanded, and Vietnam became a leading agricultural power representing Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n Total agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports reached about US$53 billion in 2023, accounting for more than 15% of the country's total exports. Diverse agricultural products such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts, black pepper, and shrimp are supplied to world markets.<\/p>\n Even as production expands, Southeast Asian agriculture also faces serious structural challenges.<\/p>\n The average cultivated area per farm in Vietnam is about 0.44 hectares, among the smallest in the ASEAN countries. Some 97% of all farmers are small and medium-scale, and the adoption of mechanization and smart-agriculture technology has not advanced.<\/p>\n About 57% of agricultural workers are unskilled, and the share aged 50 and over reaches about 43%. As the outflow of young people to the cities continues, securing the next generation of farmers has become an urgent challenge.<\/p>\n Most agricultural exports are unprocessed primary products, and exports of products whose value has been raised through processing are limited. Take coffee: despite being the world's second-largest producer, Vietnam exports a high proportion as green beans, and its brand value as a roasted, processed final product lags behind that of rival countries such as Colombia and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n There are many cases where harvested produce is not properly stored or transported and ends up spoiled or discarded, and post-harvest loss heavily squeezes the earnings of agriculture as a whole. Building out the cold chain is an urgent need.<\/p>\n Rising sea levels, the increasing frequency of extreme weather, and changes in rainfall patterns directly hit the agriculture that depends on low-lying delta zones. Vietnam's Mekong Delta lies at a low elevation, and the risks of saltwater intrusion and flooding grow greater year by year.<\/p>\n Drought is also serious, and in years when an El Ni\u00f1o occurs, water shortages arise across the entire Mekong basin, affecting millions of farmers. Responding to climate change is a shared challenge of Southeast Asian agriculture.<\/p>\n Major destinations such as the EU, Japan, and the US tighten their pesticide-residue and hygiene standards year by year, and produce that cannot meet them is shut out of the market. The introduction of origin-tracking systems using blockchain technology and the spread of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification are being attempted, but implementation at the smallholder-farmer level has lagged.<\/p>\n What kinds of efforts are being made so that Southeast Asian agriculture can shift from \"quantity to quality\" and achieve sustainable development?<\/p>\n Here we introduce seven concrete ways to raise the quality of agriculture.<\/p>\n Smart-agriculture technology\u2014such as environmental monitoring with IoT sensors, pesticide spraying by drone, and AI-based pest and disease forecasting\u2014is being demonstrated in various places. In Vietnam's Lam Dong province, greenhouse systems and automatic irrigation systems for vegetable growing have been introduced, and in the Mekong Delta, demonstrations of water-saving rice farming using water-management systems are advancing.<\/p>\n The Vietnamese government has set out its \"Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030, with a Vision to 2050,\" positioning the adoption of smart agriculture as a national priority. However, because an initial investment is required, spreading it to smallholder farmers with little capital is a bottleneck.<\/p>\n In Vietnam the cultivation of fine Robusta has expanded, and in Thailand, for jasmine rice, organic cultivation<\/a> is being promoted. Variety selection is the basis of quality, and it is important to choose varieties suited to each producing area's climate and soil.<\/p>\n The development of climate-resilient varieties, like the tolerant varieties developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is also advancing.<\/p>\n Thailand has the most developed institutional framework for organic farming in Southeast Asia, operating a certification system under the \"Thai organic agriculture standard.\" The Thai government positions organic rice exports as a growth strategy and, for jasmine rice, organic cultivation<\/a> is actively promoting.<\/p>\n In Cambodia and Laos, they make use of the \"latecomer's advantage\" that the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers was originally low, putting forward organic farming as a differentiation strategy in international markets.<\/p>\n The Vietnamese government has set a goal of entering the world's top 15 in agriculture and food processing by 2030, promoting a policy built on three pillars: attracting investment in processing facilities, building out the cold chain, and strengthening branding.<\/p>\n Primary-processing techniques such as drying and powdering dramatically raise shelf life and can also cut logistics costs. Reducing post-harvest loss through proper storage and transport after harvest is also an important challenge.<\/p>\n Major destinations such as the EU, Japan, and the US tighten their pesticide-residue and hygiene standards year by year, and produce that cannot meet them is shut out of the market. The introduction of origin-tracking systems using blockchain technology and the spread of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certification are being attempted, but implementation at the smallholder-farmer level has lagged.<\/p>\n The \"Japan-ASEAN Midori (Green) Cooperation Plan,\" adopted at the Japan-ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Ministers' Meeting in May 2023, is a comprehensive cooperation framework for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region.<\/p>\n Japan's technology and know-how suited to small and medium-scale farmers are highly likely to fit the realities of Asia's smallholder farmers, and a relationship of mutual learning is being built. Cooperation across a wide range\u2014demonstrating smart-agriculture technology, promoting organic farming, building out the cold chain\u2014is advancing.<\/p>\n Properly branding<\/a> high-quality produce and differentiating it in international markets is the key to raising added value. Vietnam's fine Robusta, Thailand's jasmine rice, Indonesia's Mandheling\u2014each country is developing its own brand strategy.<\/p>\n The Vietnamese government has set a goal of entering the world's top 15 in agriculture and food processing by 2030, promoting the strengthening of branding.<\/p>\n Southeast Asia is one of the world's leading agricultural regions and has nurtured thousands of years of farming civilization.<\/p>\n Vietnam is an agricultural power of about 100 million people, with agriculture accounting for about 12% of GDP and more than 40% of the labor force. Annual rice output is about 43.5 million tonnes with export volume ranking second in the world; coffee output ranks second in the world after Brazil and is the largest for the Robusta variety; cashew nuts and black pepper rank first in the world; and shrimp boasts third place in output and second in exports. Total agriculture, forestry, and fishery exports reached about US$53 billion in 2023, accounting for more than 15% of the country's total exports.<\/p>\n Thailand is an export power in agricultural products and food, dubbed the \"kitchen of the world,\" with natural rubber output and exports among the largest in the world and processed-chicken exports also among the world's top. Indonesia is Palm oil<\/a> the world's largest producer of, and together with Malaysia it accounts for more than 85% of world output.<\/p>\n However, they also face serious structural challenges: the low productivity and aging of smallholder farmers, low added value and an underdeveloped cold chain, vulnerability to climate change, and ensuring food safety and traceability.<\/p>\n Adopting smart-agriculture technology, variety improvement, a shift to organic farming, improving processing technology, building traceability, international cooperation, branding\u2014these seven ways are concrete paths for Southeast Asian agriculture to achieve sustainable development.<\/p>\n The \"Japan-ASEAN Midori (Green) Cooperation Plan,\" adopted at the Japan-ASEAN Agriculture and Forestry Ministers' Meeting in May 2023, is a comprehensive cooperation framework for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region. Japan's technology and know-how suited to small and medium-scale farmers are highly likely to fit the realities of Asia's smallholder farmers, and a relationship of mutual learning is being built.<\/p>\n Those who want to learn more about Southeast Asian agriculture may search for information under keywords such as Vietnamese agriculture, the Mekong Delta, the Doi Moi policy, and the Japan-ASEAN Midori Cooperation Plan. By understanding the efforts toward building sustainable agriculture and food systems, you will come to see how our tables and the world's future are connected.<\/strong><\/p>\n A guide to Asia's coffee-growing regions. We explain the features of major producing countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, and their efforts to improve quality.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":350,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_title":"\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u306e\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u7523\u5730\u3092\u6bd4\u3079\u308b\uff5c\u4e3b\u8981\u56fd\u306e\u7279\u5fb4\u3068\u54c1\u8cea\u5411\u4e0a\u7b56","ssp_meta_description":"\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u306e\u4e3b\u8981\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u751f\u7523\u56fd\u306e\u7279\u5fb4\u3092\u3001\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u306e\u4e2d\u90e8\u9ad8\u539f\u3092\u8ef8\u306b\u5404\u56fd\u306e\u5f37\u307f\u3068\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u6574\u7406\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u30c9\u30a4\u30e2\u30a4\u653f\u7b56\u304c\u3082\u305f\u3089\u3057\u305f\u8ee2\u63db\u3084\u3001\u54c1\u8cea\u3092\u9ad8\u3081\u308b7\u3064\u306e\u65b9\u6cd5\u307e\u3067\u3001\u8abf\u9054\u306e\u8996\u70b9\u3067\u89e3\u8aac\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002","footnotes":""},"categories":[21,2],"tags":[55,10,6,53,5,30,8],"crop_category":[],"harvest_season":[],"class_list":["post-349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-coffee","category-southeast-asia","tag-indonesia","tag-coffee","tag-vietnam","tag-robusta","tag-southeast-asia","tag-export","tag-agriculture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=349"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":868,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349\/revisions\/868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=349"},{"taxonomy":"crop_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/crop_category?post=349"},{"taxonomy":"harvest_season","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/harvest_season?post=349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nVietnamese Agriculture: Diverse Production Supported by the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands<\/h2>\n
![\"\u30d9\u30c8\u30ca\u30e0\u306e\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u8fb2\u5712\u3068\u53ce\u7a6b\u98a8\u666f\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-0b8c5c7d-0999-455b-a66f-f73cc238504b-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Mekong Delta: One of the World's Leading Rice-Producing Zones<\/h3>\n
The Central Highlands: A Major Producing Area for Coffee and Spices<\/h3>\n
The Northern Red River Delta: A Traditional Rice-Farming Zone<\/h3>\n
\nThe Agriculture of Southeast Asian Countries: Diverse Characteristics and Strengths<\/h2>\n
Thailand: An Export Power in Agricultural Products and Food, Dubbed the \"Kitchen of the World\"<\/h3>\n
![\"\u30a4\u30f3\u30c9\u30cd\u30b7\u30a2\u306e\u706b\u5c71\u3068\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u8fb2\u5712\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-0b8c5c7d-0999-455b-a66f-f73cc238504b-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIndonesia: ASEAN's Largest Agricultural Producer<\/h3>\n
The Philippines: The Challenges of a Banana-Export Power<\/h3>\n
Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos: Countries with High Dependence on Agriculture<\/h3>\n
\nThe Agricultural Transformation Brought About by the Doi Moi Policy<\/h2>\n
![\"\u30bf\u30a4\u5317\u90e8\u306e\u5c71\u5cb3\u5730\u5e2f\u3068\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u683d\u57f9\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-0b8c5c7d-0999-455b-a66f-f73cc238504b-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Granting of Land-Use Rights and the Introduction of a Market Economy<\/h3>\n
The Expansion of Agricultural Exports<\/h3>\n
\nThe Serious Challenges Facing Southeast Asian Agriculture<\/h2>\n
The Low Productivity and Aging of Smallholder Farmers<\/h3>\n
Low Added Value and an Underdeveloped Cold Chain<\/h3>\n
![\"\u30b3\u30fc\u30d2\u30fc\u8c46\u306e\u52a0\u5de5\u3068\u54c1\u8cea\u7ba1\u7406\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-0b8c5c7d-0999-455b-a66f-f73cc238504b-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\nVulnerability to Climate Change<\/h3>\n
Ensuring Food Safety and Traceability<\/h3>\n
\n7 Ways to Open Up the Future of Southeast Asian Agriculture<\/h2>\n
1. Adopting Smart-Agriculture Technology<\/h3>\n
2. Variety Improvement and the Introduction of High-Quality Varieties<\/h3>\n
3. A Shift to Organic Farming<\/h3>\n
4. Improving Processing Technology and Building Out the Cold Chain<\/h3>\n
5. Building Traceability Systems<\/h3>\n
6. International Cooperation and Farmer Support<\/h3>\n
7. Branding and Market Development<\/h3>\n
\nConclusion: The Sustainable Future That Southeast Asian Agriculture Is Opening Up<\/h2>\n
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