Position and functions:

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

Tasks and authorities: 

1. Submit to the Government and Prime Minister legal drafts ordinances and other legal documents within the Ministry’s mandated areas.
2. Submit to the Government and Prime Minister 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.
4. Guide, supervise and be responsible for and organize the implementation of legal document, strategies, master plans, plans, programs, projects, standards, techno-economic norms relating to agriculture, forestry, salt industry, 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):

1. Perform governance responsibilities for crop production, harvest and preservation of agricultural products;
2. Unify the management of breeds and strains and agricultural processing;
3. Perform governance responsibilities for agricultural strains and livestock breeds;
4. Unify the management of the provision of agricultural production inputs, including fertilizers and animal feed;
5. Perform governance responsibilities for plant protection, veterinary, plant and animal quarantine; organize quarantine activities for exported and imported livestock and fresh agricultural products in accordance with legal documents and international treaties signed or ratified by the Government of Vietnam.

6. Forestry:

1. Perform governance responsibilities for forestation, forest resource development, forest production and forest product preservation;
2. Unify the management of forest product processing;
3. Perform governance responsibilities for forest plant species and materials supply;
4. Perform governance responsibilities for forest protection.

7. Salt production:

1. Perform governance responsibilities for salt production and preservation and related products;
2. Integrate public management of salt processing and related products.

8. Water resources:

1. Unify the management of construction, exploitation, usage and protection of hydraulic works, and water supply and drainage works in rural areas;
2. Unify the management of river basins; the exploitation, usage and integrated development of rivers in accordance with the master plans and action plans approved by authorized agencies;
3. Unify the management of dike construction and protection, headwork for prevention of floods and typhoons and efforts to prevent and combat flush flooding, floods, typhoons, drought, and landslides along riversides and coastal areas.

9. Rural development:

1. Integrate and submit proposals to Government, and Prime Minister for issuance of plans, programs, and policies related to rural development;
2. Integrate public management over re-distribution of human resources in the areas of agriculture and rural development in accordance with legal documents;
3. Unify the management of the building and development of the economies of households, farms, cooperative societies, farming co-ops and state-run agro-forest farms;
4. Unify the management of extension services in agriculture, forestry, salt production and of development of rural trades and crafts.

10. Perform governance responsibilities for state reserves of agricultural materials, supplies and equipment as assigned by the Government.
11. Science and technology:

1. Unify the management of the development of programs, plans, research for development and application of new technology in the areas of agriculture, forestry, salt production, irrigation/water services and rural development in accordance with legal documents;
2. Perform governance responsibilities for genetic preservation of fauna and flora resources (including forest plants and wild animals), microorganisms used in agriculture, forest and salt production in accordance with legal documents;
3. Manage standards and assure the quality of agriculture, forestry, and salt production input materials and products, and appraise the quality of equipment and works constructed under the domain of the Ministry.
4. Manage information dissemination in the field of science and technology and professional intellectual property rights in the domain of the Ministry in accordance with legal documents.

12. Trade promotion:

1. Coordinate with the Ministry of Trade concerning establishment of mechanisms and policies for market development for agricultural, forestry and salt products, and submission to the Government and the Prime Minister;
2. Coordinate with Ministry of Trade to forecast market development for agricultural, forestry and salt products and related product development;
3. Integrate public management of the organization of agriculture, forestry and salt production exhibitions in accordance with regulations.

13. Carry out international cooperation in the domain of agriculture, forestry, salt production, irrigation/water services and rural development in accordance with legal documents.
14. Carry out specific tasks and authority regulated under the representative right of stare ownership in enterprises with state capital in the domain of the Ministry in accordance with legal documents.
15. Public services provision:

1. Manage and direct activities carried out by public service delivery agencies of the Ministry.
2. Perform governance responsibilities for organizations that provide public services in agriculture, forestry, salt production, water resources and rural development in accordance with legal documents.

16. Perform 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, and 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.