Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen TanDung asked the country's agriculture sector to improve forecasts and use of statistics to boost production and exports next year, the local newspaper Vietnam News reported today.

Dung made the requirement at a conference in Hanoi on Monday, which discussed the sector's plans for 2009. The conference was crucial as next year is predicted to be a harsh year for the country's agriculture and farmers.

Dung praised the development of the agriculture sector for its remarkable growth of production in 2008 compared with that of 2007despite difficulties such as world price fluctuations, rising input prices and severe cold spells earlier this year.

The food security was ensured and export revenue of six major products exceeded the US$1 billion mark including coffee, rice, wooden furniture, rubber, shrimp and tra fish.

However, Dung pointed out several of the sector's weaknesses, such as unstable development, low competitiveness and problems relating to food safety, which are needed to be solved next year.

Vietnam has set a target for 2009 to grow 7.2 million hectares of rice and plant 227,300 hectares of forest. The meat production is targeted to reach 3.75 million tons while the production of shrimp and fish is aimed at 4.6 million tons.