HÀ NỘI — Credit growth for agriculture and rural development in Việt Nam rose 5.31 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the end of 2024, accounting for 23.16 per cent of the country’s total outstanding loans.

The strong credit flow has helped ease the capital shortage long faced by the agricultural sector and rural communities.

At a recent press briefing held by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to review the banking sector’s performance in the first half of 2025 and set out tasks for the remaining months of the year, Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, deputy director of the SBV’s Credit Department for Economic Sectors, said that overall credit growth by the end of June had reached 9.9 per cent, with key sectors including agriculture and rural development posting robust gains.

Although agriculture currently contributes only about 11–14 per cent of Việt Nam’s GDP, it remains the backbone of employment and livelihoods, especially in rural areas. Given the economy’s strong dependence on bank credit, the growth in loans to the agricultural sector reflects considerable effort from the entire banking system.

As the leading bank in agricultural and rural lending, Agribank reported mobilised capital of over VNĐ2.1 quadrillion (US$80.3 billion) in the first six months, up 6.4 per cent from the start of the year, the highest level since 2021. Of this, loans to the economy totaled more than VNĐ1.85 quadrillion, up 7.6 per cent year-on-year.

Notably, loans to agriculture and rural areas alone surpassed VNĐ1.13 quadrillion, making up over 61 per cent of Agribank’s total credit, said the bank’s General Director Phạm Toàn Vượng.

Similarly, HDBank reported that over 22 per cent of its outstanding loans were directed to agriculture and rural development, with more than half of its borrowers based in rural and tier-2 urban areas. In June, HDBank and BIDV signed a VNĐ500-billion sub-loan agreement using World Bank funding under the Rural Finance and Sustainable Agriculture Transformation (VnSAT) projects.

Trần Hoài Nam, Standing Deputy CEO of HDBank, emphasised that the bank views agricultural credit as part of its long-term sustainable development strategy, supporting the modernisation and green transformation of Vietnam’s agriculture.

In a significant policy shift, the Government issued Decree No. 156/2025/ND-CP on June 16 to expand access to unsecured loans for rural borrowers. The decree raised lending caps for individuals and households to VNĐ300 million and up to VNĐ5 billion for cooperatives and cooperative alliances. It also streamlined administrative procedures and allowed for greater debt restructuring flexibility.

These changes, along with the SBV’s directive to expand credit for agriculture, forestry, and fisheries to over VNĐ100 trillion, are expected to significantly increase funding opportunities for rural enterprises and farming households.

Hoàng Văn Long, deputy director of Biển Quỳnh Seafood Company in Nghệ An Province, said that to grow and operate professionally, businesses need the solid backing of banks. — VNS