RICE PRICES REMAIN LOW
According to reports, at this time, some farmers in the Go Cong freshwater area are entering the harvest phase of the winter-spring rice crop. Although rice prices have increased compared to the autumn-winter crop, the overall price level remains low, leaving farmers unhappy.
When we arrived, Mr. Tran Ngoc Hai (Thanh Loi hamlet, Long Binh commune, Dong Thap province) was watching his combine harvester harvest his family's 5 acres of Dai Thom 8 rice. According to Mr. Hai, this year's favorable weather resulted in a bumper crop. However, the price of rice is still not as expected. Mr. Hai shared: "Last autumn-winter crop, I sold Dai Thom 8 rice for only 5,600 VND/kg. This season, the price has increased by about 900 VND/kg compared to the previous season. At this price, farmers don't make much profit. After more than 3 months, only a few hundred thousand VND per acre is too low."
According to the Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Thap province, in the first two months of the year, the province's rice exports reached 253,215 tons, equivalent to 135 million USD, a decrease of 24.57% in volume and 23.93% in value compared to the same period in 2015. The Philippines continued to be the largest export market, accounting for 31.59% of the province's total rice export value; followed by China at 24%, and Singapore at 6.18%. In addition, the province's rice was also exported to other markets such as Ghana, South Africa, Malaysia, etc. Exports to the Middle East accounted for approximately 0.73% of the province's total rice export value. |
This year's winter-spring rice crop saw Mr. Pham Van Thanh's family (Long Hai hamlet, Long Binh commune) sow over 2 hectares of rice (including rented land) with the Dai Thom 8 variety. After harvesting, the yield reached approximately 8 tons/ha. The rice was purchased by traders at a price of 6,580 VND/kg. Mr. Thanh shared: "The price of rice this season increased by about 1,000 VND/kg compared to the autumn-winter crop."
However, this is still very low. This past autumn-winter crop, due to the extremely low rice prices and low yields, I lost nearly 50 million dong. In previous years, farming also resulted in losses, but not as much as this season, because input costs were lower. Farmers only make a decent profit if the rice price is 7,000 dong/kg or higher. This season, after deducting expenses, I only made about 500,000 dong per hectare.”
Meanwhile, in My Phuoc Tay ward, Dong Thap province, Mr. Nguyen Van Rin's family has just finished harvesting 2.3 hectares of winter-spring rice. This season, his family sowed the OM 380 rice variety and sold it at 5,600 VND/kg. After deducting expenses, his family only made a profit of a few hundred thousand VND per hectare.
Mr. Huynh Van Danh, Director of Vinh Hien Co., Ltd. (Phu Thanh commune, Dong Thap province), said that currently, the general price of rice remains low. The company is purchasing Dai Thom 8 rice at 6,500 VND/kg, about 700 VND/kg higher than the autumn-winter crop. In this year's autumn-winter rice crop, the company is collaborating with cooperatives in the area to guarantee the purchase of products from approximately 400 hectares. The rice varieties mainly sold by the company are Dai Thom 8 and OM 5451. The company is purchasing the rice at about 200 VND/kg higher than the market price. Of this, 100 hectares in My Thanh commune are producing high-quality, low-emission rice. Currently, rice consumption has not yet improved.
RICE EXPORTS ARE SLOW
Along with persistently low rice prices, rice exports are also slowing down. Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh, Director of Duc Thinh Rice Co., Ltd. (Hoi Cu commune, Dong Thap province), stated that while rice exports have shown some improvement since the beginning of the year, overall they remain slow. Currently, export rice prices are similar to those before the 2026 Lunar New Year. Businesses primarily export to China; the Philippines still has orders, but they are slow.
“In March and April, Vietnam's main rice export market, the Philippines, allowed imports of approximately 150,000 tons. Of that, Vietnam will export 110,000-120,000 tons to this market. The import demand from the Philippines is only about 30% compared to the same months last year. Other export markets such as Africa and the Middle East are also experiencing delays. Currently, all shipments to the Middle East have been cancelled. Businesses with customers exporting Japanese rice to the Middle East are also affected.”
Due to the impact of armed conflicts, major shipping companies have canceled their schedules to these countries. As a result, businesses are unable to deliver goods. 2026 will be a difficult year for rice exports. To overcome the current difficulties, businesses are forced to shift to other markets, mainly focusing on the Chinese market. Currently, the Chinese market is buying a relatively large amount of rice and glutinous rice because the price of rice in our country is currently low,” Mr. Thinh added.
Mr. Le Phat Dat, representative of Phat Tai Co., Ltd. (Lap Vo commune, Dong Thap province), said that since the beginning of the year, the company has exported rice products including OM 18 and Dai Thom 8 varieties to markets such as the Philippines, Africa, and the Middle East. However, export volume has decreased due to the late harvest season, weak demand, and low prices. In addition, the recent increase in gasoline and fertilizer prices has also affected the export market. “Given this situation, the company is focusing on understanding demand and promoting trade more deeply in traditional markets and seeking more export markets…,” Mr. Dat shared.
According to the Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Thap province, in the context of a volatile export market, the industry will coordinate with relevant sectors, localities, and businesses to implement a comprehensive set of solutions to enhance the value and export turnover of rice. This includes utilizing support policies from the national and local industrial promotion programs to encourage businesses to invest in upgrading machinery and equipment for production and developing high value-added products. Simultaneously, improvements in packaging, branding, and trademark development will be pursued to promote the development of the production sector and create momentum for exports.
In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to promote the dissemination and guidance of businesses to effectively utilize new generation free trade agreements such as CPTPP, EVFTA, UKVFTA, and RCEP; creating favorable conditions for the issuance and provision of information related to certificates of origin (C/O). Simultaneously, it supports businesses in directly participating in foreign distribution systems, thereby diversifying markets and reducing dependence on a few traditional markets…
According to Dang Van Tuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Dong Thap province: “In the coming time, the industry and trade sector will strengthen market monitoring and research. The sector will closely monitor developments in the world rice market, promptly providing information on demand, import policies, and technical barriers of each market so that businesses can proactively adjust their production and export plans. At the same time, we will promote research and expand into new markets, reducing dependence on a few traditional markets.”
Besides the export market, the province is also focused on developing the domestic market, especially collective kitchens, industrial zones, schools, and hospitals, in order to expand stable consumption channels for high-quality rice products. One of the important solutions is to build and develop the province's rice brand; focusing on supporting businesses in building brands, registering collective trademarks and geographical trademarks, developing specialty rice products, commercially packaged rice, and nutritional rice to serve the mid- and high-end segments. This will enhance the added value and position of the province's rice in the international market…”.
T. DAT - N. KHANH
Source: https://baodongthap.vn/gia-lua-gao-van-chua-khoi-sac-a238098.html
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