Vietnam’s rice output for 2012 is expected to increase by 1.45 million tonnes over the last year’s figure, to reach 43.7 million tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Of which, the winter-spring harvest will yield an estimated 20.27 million tonnes, up 495,000 tonnes. Following is the main crop (from late May to mid-November) with a total output estimated at 8.2 million tonnes. The yield of the summer-autumn crop is expected to be 11.7 million tonnes, while the autumn-winter crop will produce about 3.5 million tones.

The higher rice output this year was attributed to the application of supporting policies by local authorities, coupled with developing the so-called Grand Paddy Field model, according to the ministry’s Planning Department.

Northern provinces have basically completed harvesting the main crop, and are currently stepping up sowing and planting winter crops in spite of unfavourable weather conditions. Meanwhile, many localities in the Mekong Delta, the country's rice granary, are speeding up sowing of the 2012-2013 winter-spring crop.-VNA