Acting Minister of Agriculture talks about Vietnamese rice situation when Philippines and Indonesia stop importing

In response to the Philippines and Indonesia temporarily suspending rice imports, the leader of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MARD) affirmed that the Vietnamese rice market has not been greatly affected, thanks to the stable operation of the domestic production and consumption chain, timely participation of national reserves in stabilization, and many new markets opening up opportunities.

Rice harvest in Dong Thap .

On September 11, Mr. Tran Duc Thang - Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment - chaired a meeting with units and businesses to evaluate rice export activities in response to the news that the Philippines and Indonesia have temporarily stopped importing rice since the beginning of September.

"Farmers do not need to worry about output"

At the meeting, representatives of many businesses and associations emphasized that farmers do not need to worry about the output of their rice grains.

Ms. Bui Thi Thanh Tam - President of Vinafood1 - affirmed: "If people have rice, we will buy it. People do not need to worry about selling rice." Hundreds of thousands of tons of inventory are being temporarily stored by state-owned enterprises, contributing to maintaining supply and stabilizing prices.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Sales Director of Chon Chinh Company in Dong Thap spoke at the meeting.

Mr. Tran Tan Duc - Member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Food Corporation - said that after a short-term price drop, rice prices have recovered thanks to imports from Africa and national reserve purchases. By September 11, high-quality rice had exceeded VND6,000/kg, while regular rice remained at VND5,000/kg.

Mr. Pham Thai Binh - Chairman of the Board of Directors and Deputy General Director of Trung An - assessed that the summer-autumn crop has basically been harvested, and the Philippines' temporary suspension of imports does not greatly affect the import-export plan.

In addition, some businesses have proposed that the Government support exports and release inventories as soon as possible to maintain their reputation with international partners.

Production linkage - the key to market stability

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam emphasized that, in this context, Vietnam needs to achieve the dual goal of ensuring domestic food security and maintaining export value, with the principle of production following demand, close linkage and cost reduction.

A typical example is the model of the 1 million hectare high-quality rice program, reducing emissions in the Mekong Delta, which is being implemented in 11 localities with more than 320,000 hectares registered, helping to increase productivity by 5-10% and reduce costs by 10-20%.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam, businesses and people need to proactively link up in production.

A representative of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development said that by the end of August, the country had harvested 3.13 million hectares of rice, reaching an output of 20.52 million tons. The rest of the year will mainly focus on the autumn-winter crop with a plan to sow more than 708,000 hectares in the South. This is an important space to regulate supply and demand if the chain linking farmers, cooperatives and businesses is operated smoothly.

Along with production, businesses need to invest in post-harvest infrastructure such as specialized rice and paddy warehouses, standard milling lines and modern preservation technology. Without these links, the supply chain is likely to be congested when the autumn-winter crop enters its peak.

When the infrastructure is fully invested, businesses can strategically stockpile and choose the right time to sell according to international orders and prices, instead of having to sell quickly to rotate capital.

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, in the last four months of the year, rice output is expected to reach an additional 13.8 million tons, of which the autumn-winter crop alone in the Mekong Delta contributes about 6 million tons - a unique advantage that other countries in the region do not have.

This is considered a "safety cushion" for exports, especially when the Philippines often increases imports at the end of the year.

Vietnam's rice exports are insignificantly affected.

Concluding the meeting, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang affirmed: "In the short term, Vietnam's rice exports will not be significantly affected."

After the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will report to the Prime Minister to direct banks to provide credit incentives, support debt restructuring, and remove obstacles in VAT refunds.

Mr. Thang also said that to boost trade promotion and expand output to Africa and South America, Vietnam has added 5 more agricultural counselors in the above markets.

Acting Minister Tran Duc Thang emphasized: “The Vietnamese rice market needs both arms - quick response in the short term and long-term strategy. On the one hand, we need to remove credit, taxes, and promote trade; on the other hand, we need to exploit the advantages of the autumn-winter crop, expand new markets, and restructure production so that farmers can make a profit and have confidence.”

hanoimoi.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/quyen-bo-truong-nong-nghiep-noi-ve-tinh-hinh-gao-viet-khi-philippines-indonesia-dung-nhap-khau-post881849.html