Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was established since 1995 based on combination of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ministry of Forestry and Ministry of Irrigation.

A. FROM 1987 TO 1995:

I. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry was earlier established by combination of Ministry of Agriculrure, Ministry of Food and Ministry of Food Industry.

In 1987, with guideline of developing Vietnamese agriculture to go with processing and consuming under a closed process from produce-process-consume, the State Council issued Decree No 782 NQ HDNN 7 in February 16^th, 1987 on establishment of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry based on merging Ministry of Agriculrure, Ministry of Food and Ministry of Food Industry.

In March 5^th, 1987 Minister Council issued Decree No 46-HDBT regulating function, task and system organiztion of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry is office of Minister Council, which responsible of unifying the State management on agriculture, food and food industry in the whole country followed the Party Legals policy and guideline, ensuring demand of food and foodstuff for people, national defence and material for industry and export agro-products.

1. Minstry of Agriculture was established and developed from Ministry of Farming (which was established in November 14^th, 1945); establised Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in February 1995; divided Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry into four organizations: Agriculture Ministry, Farm Ministry; Aquaculture General Office and Forestry General Office. In April 1^st, 1971, Central Agriculture Committee was set up by merging Agriculture Ministry, Farm Ministry and Agricultural Producing Cooperatives Management Board. The Committee was changed to Ministry of Agriculture in 1976.

2. Ministry of Food was establised under the Decree issued in January 22^nd 1981 by Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

3. Ministry of Food Industry was establised under the Decree issued in January 22^nd 1981 by Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

After establishing and arranging, system structure of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry consisted of:

- 46 departments, offices, boards majoring in State management

- 26 institutes, centers majoring in science research belonging to the Ministry

- 13 schools majoring in management, technique and worker training

- 53 producing and trading units belonged to the Ministry at level of Company, Corporation, Enterprise Union, conjugate enterprise (managing more than 400 local economic units)

- 9 factories, enterprises belonged to the Ministry

In March 1990, the State Council decided to consolidate offices of Minister Council which allocated function of State management for rubber industry to Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. Approving to disband Rubber General Office.

Task and authority of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry was regulated in the Frame 1.

             Frame 1: Task, authority of Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry

- Based on guideline and policy of the Party, State legal to build projects and  master plans (long-term, 5-year, annual) on agricultural production, food processing industry, purchasing and distributing food in the country, submitting Minister Council to decide and organize implementation.

- Setting up legal projects, policies, systems, rules and regulations, standards, economic and technical norms, processes, norms on: agricultural production and food industry; food purchasing, preserving, processing and distributing to submit Minister Council to decide or self-decide in relevant to the Ministry�s authority.

- Setting up forecast of scientific and technical development in agriculture and food industry, unify management of guideline and policy implementation on science and technology, researching, developing science and technology; conducting application of scientific and technical advances in food and agricultural product producing, processing, preserving.

- Conducting implementation of reforming and completing production relationship in agricultural producing, food processing in State-owned enterprises and other economic sectors. Reforming and managing food market.

- Conducting plan making and implementation of international corporation plan on economic and science technology, agricultural and food product export and import; receiving inputs for agricultural production and food industry, food preserving and processing in accordance with the State�s guideline and policy in foreign relationship.

- Submitting Minister Council to decide management system structure from central to local.

- Submitting Minister Council to issue or self-issue policies, systems for officers, officials, titles and speciality standards of agricultural sector.

- Conducting production, import and procerument of technical inputs, facilities in agricultural production, agricutural product and food processing, food purchasing, preserving, processing and distributing (allocated by the State). Instructing industries and localities to build specialized infrastructure for agricultural production, food processing industry, food purchasing, preserving, processing and distributing under the States plan.

- Bring into full play activeness in producing and trading in localities. Conducting and checking units to ensure effect implementation of the States tasks and plans; effect officers, labors, capital, inputs and facilities using alloted by the State.

- Instruct, check industries, localities in the country about State management function in agriculture, food and food-stuff industry to ensure strict and united implementation of the sectors management contents.

II. Ministry of Irrigation:

- In July 11st,  1994, the Government issued the Decree No 63-CP on task, authority and system structure of Ministry of Irrigation instead of the Decree No88-CP issued in March 6^th, 1979. The Decree No 63-CP regulated that Ministry of Irrigation is office of Government to implement State management function on water resource (except for mineral material water and ground water); on exploitation management of irrigation construction and flood prevention, dyke maintainance in the country.

System structure of Ministry of Irrigation is regulated in the Decree No 63-CP:

1. Organizations help Minister implement State management function, including: Planning Department, Science and Technology Department, Finance-Account and Statistic Department, Personel Department; Inspector; International Cooperation Department; Irrigation Construction Management Department; Secretariat office; Water Management and Irrigation Construction Exploitation Department; Flood Prevention and Dyke Management Department.

2. Working organizations: Irrigation Planning Institute; Science Research and Irrigation Economic Institute; Southern Irrigation Science Research Institute (established from Southern Irrigation Science Sub-Institute); Irrigation University; Management Training School; Irrigation Information Center (irrigation magazine is included). Other working organizations were studied, arranged and decided by Minister of Irrigation, Ministers, Chief of Organizing Board � Government officers and related Ministries.

Task and authority of Ministry of Irrigation is regulated in Frame 2

Frame 2: Task and authority of Ministry of Irrigation

Ministry of Irrigation implements task, authority and State management function of the Ministry, ministerial level agencies, which is regulated in the Decree No 15-CP issued in March 2^nd, 1993 by the Government and tasks are as followed:

1. Build and submit the Government strategy, master and regional plan on water source development; on managing, exploiting and protecting irrigation construction and flood prevention, dyke maintainance under economic-socio development requirement and conducting to implement;

2. Build and submit the Government to issue or issue by competence of legal documents, policies, regimes, processes, norms, standards, economic and technical norms on management of exploiting, using and protecting water sources, irrigation construction and flood prevention and dyke maintainance;

3. Submit the Government to approve or approve by competence of economic-technical facts of irrigation construction invested project, designing, constructing and taking over plan of irrigation constructs under current regulation of the Government on basic construction management;

4. Organize granting or revoking licences for building, water exploiting and using, safe water environment for irrigation construction;

5. Implement standing task of Central Board of Flood prevention and directly conduct flood prevention in the country;

6. Conduct implementing and regulating huge irrigation construction, general using, inter-provincial construction;

7. Implement standing task of Mekong National Committee in Vietnam and conduct implementing programs, projects related to managing and exploiting Mekong River;

8. Check and inspect implementing laws, policies, regimes on management of exploiting and protecting water source, irrigation construction and flood preventation and dyke maintainance in the country. Quoted: Decree No 63-CP issued in July 11^th, 1994 by the Government.

Ministry of Irrigation was initially formed from irrigation function of Ministry of Transportation and Public Works (1945); President Ho Chi Minh signed decree to establish Transportation Department in April 30^th, 1953; Ministry of Irrigation and Architecture was formed in September 1995; Ministry of Irrigation was formed in April 1958; then changed to Ministry of Irrigation and Electricity in late 1960; in December 1962 changed to Ministry of Irrigation.

III. Ministry of Forestry:

- Overview from 1976 to before 1994, Ministry of Forestry managed the whole industry followed function, task and authority regulated for General Office of Forestry by the Government.

- In 1976, the Government unified decision on united government included Ministry of Forestry was formed from General Office of Forestry.

- In 1991, the Government issued Law of Forest Development and Protection.

- In February 1^st, 1994, the Government issued the Decree No 08CP on task, authority and system structure of Ministry of Forestry.

Position and function of Ministry of Forestry was identified: Ministry of Forestry is a Governmental office to implement State management function on managing, protecting, building and developing forest, using forest and is responsible for implementing State management on protecting and developing forest regulated in Law of Forest Development and Protection.

System structure of Ministry of Forestry included:

- Organizations help Minister implement the State function: Silviculture Department; Forest Indutrial Department; Forest Protection Department, Science Technology Department; International Cooperation Department; Inspector; Planning and Statistic Department; Financial and Accounting Department; Personel and Labor Department; General Secretariat.

- Working organizations: Vietnam Forestry Science Institute; Forest Planning and Investigation Institute; National Gardens; Forestry University; Forestry Management Training School; Vocational and Worker Schools are arranged by Ministry of Forestry and Government Staff Organization Board to submit Prime Minister for approvement; Forestry Magazine; 3 centers for forest protection technique I, II, III.

Ministry of Forestry was establised and developed from Department of Forestry Service, which belonged to Ministry of Farming (November 1945); General Office of Forestry (1960); Ministry of Forestry was formed in 1976.

There are 6 technical worker schools that directly belonged to Ministry of Forestry (teaching forestry jobs): Wood Processing Worker School (Ha Nam Ninh); Central Forestry Worker School I (Lang Son); Central Forestry Worker School II (Binh Dinh); Central Forestry Worker School III (Binh Duong); Central Forestry Worker School IV (Phu Tho); Forestry Mechanic Worker School (Ha Noi); 3 forestry vocational schools: School I (Quang Ninh), School II (Dong Nai) and School III (Tay Nguyen, Gia Lai). This system is in the structure of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Task and authority of Ministry of Forestry is regulated in Frame 3.

The Forestry Ministry is given the responsibility of organising and carrying out the state management of protecting and developing forest under the forest protection and development laws. Besides, according to the 15 CP/ Mar 2, 1993 the decree of Government, it has to take the duty, authority and responsibility for state management like other ministries and ministry equal agencies,  with the following specific tasks:

1. Submiting  to the Government the managment and development projects or plans on protecting, processing, exploiting and reasonable utilizing forestry products, specialties, wild animals; the national and inter- provincial projects or programs on forestry, including the green recovering of bald hills, the rare faunal and floral protection; managing and inspecting the above plans and projects under the approval of Government and Prime minister.

2. Submiting to the Government the annual decision on logging and exploiting forest products; policies on managing, protecting, developing and utilizing forests; on forest lands; and on how to carry out these policies and decisions.

3. Constructing and publishing procedures, norms, criteria, technical and economic standards of planting, rearing forests, exploiting and processing forest products, opening or closing forests, transporting and processing timbers and forest products.

4. Identifying the plant and animal structure in forestry corresponding to the forest economic structure, specific environment of each region; organizing and guiding the forest-planting encouragement; unifying in faunal and floral breed management; co-ordinating with related agencies in floral breed exporting-importing management under the regulation of Government

5. Organizing and guiding the forest control under the rules of forest protection and development laws and the regulations of Government.

6. Organizing and guiding the professional inspection of the forest management and protection, and the forest product utilization.

(Source: 08 CP Feb 1, 1994 decree of Government)

            B. FROM 1995 UP TO NOW

Hesitating and developing the 10-year renovation achievements in organizing government official agencies, the Government took the orientation to change the single- profession managing ministry into the multi profession managing ministry with the relative similar functions with the aim to reduce the overlap and separation among ministries for more effectiveness in state management in agriculture, forestry, irrigation and rural development.

From October 3 to October 28, 1995, in the 8th Meeting of the 9th Congress Course, under the Decree on establishing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Ministry is established based on the unifying of 3 ministries of Forestry, Agriculture and Food, and Water Resource.

The political tasks of MARD include not only the initial ministries tasks of agriculture, forest and irrigation, but also the higher requirements of developing agriculture and rural areas sustainably, protecting the natural resources (including lands, water and forests) and further gluing the agriculture, forestry and irrigation development with rural development with more than 60 million rural residents accounting for about 78 % of  national population.

On November 1^st , 1995, the Government launched the 73- CP decree on functions, tasks, authorities, and organization structure of MARD.

On July 31^st , 2007, the twelveth national assembly passed the decree on government structure including the merge of Fishery Ministry and MARD into Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.  

The decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP on MARDs task Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is a states agency, carrying out tasks of state management on such fields as agriculture, forestry, salt industry, aqualculture, water resource and rural development in the country; of state management on public services and fields under the management of the Ministry.

Organization structure of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD):

1. Organizations in charge of state management:

- Planning Deparment

- Finance Department

- Science, Technology and Environment Deparment

- International Cooperation Department

- Legislation Department

- Personal and Organization Department

- Minterial Inspection

- MARD office

- Department of Cultivation

- Plant Protection Department

- Department of Husbandry

- Veternary/Animal Health Department

- Agro-forestry Processing and Salt Industry Department

- Forest Protection Department

- Forestry Department

- Aqua Exploiting and Protection Department

- Department of Aquaculture

- Water Resource Department

- Dyke Management and Flood Control Department

- Works/Construction Department

- Cooperatives and Rural Development Department

- Agro-aqua-forestry product quality management Department

2. Organizations on service delivery

- Information Technology and Statistics Centre

- Centre for Clean Water and Sanitation

- National Centre for Agriculture and Aqualculture Extention

- Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper

- Agriculture and Rural Development Magazine.