A complete calculation of production costs is crucial for the definition of prices for exported rice, as is the stronger involvement of farmers, Dr Nguyen Duc Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Centre for Economic and Policy Research, suggested.
Thanh, who is a key member of the Agriculture Alliance, a coalition for the interest of farmers and agricultural efficiency, asserted that these measures would contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s rice production and benefit small-scale rice producers.
Exporters should focus on price rather than volume, thus encouraging enterprises and farmers to increase investments and apply advanced technology, he stressed.
The move is expected to enhance the competitiveness and reputation of Vietnamese rice, Thanh added, who is also the head of the alliance’s rice research team.
Meanwhile, a report published by the alliance on October 21 showed that over the past two decades Vietnam’s rice export volume continued to increase, ensuring domestic food security and facilitating exports.
However, the increase in volume did not go hand-in-hand with an increase in farmers’ incomes.
Thanh also pointed out that export was the top priority for Vietnam’s rice sector, which acts as the main orientation for the country’s entire rice production.
In order to maximise profits, rice enterprises tended to push for the highest possible export volume, which leads to an over-exploitation of land, a lack of quality control and a careless selection of rice varieties. This poses a risk to the sustainable development of Vietnam’s rice production, particularly in the Mekong Delta region, he said.
He affirmed that exporters strongly affected Vietnam’s rice production chain. However, he recommended exporters invest more in rice husking facilities, a promising sector that businesses should expand into.
Members of the alliance agreed that the Government’s support policies benefitted buyers and export enterprises rather than enhancing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and supporting farmers, as originally intended.
In addition to the recommendations on the value of price and farmer participation, the alliance also proposed a number of practical solutions, including exempting domestic rice producers from the 5-percent value added tax, and increasing financial support and insurance for farmers to reduce their dependency on agricultural suppliers.
Thanh avowed that the alliance would continue to work towards the prompt adjustment of policies for the rice sector and farmers in an effort to increase the competitiveness of Vietnam’s agriculture.-VNA
Thanh, who is a key member of the Agriculture Alliance, a coalition for the interest of farmers and agricultural efficiency, asserted that these measures would contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnam’s rice production and benefit small-scale rice producers.
Exporters should focus on price rather than volume, thus encouraging enterprises and farmers to increase investments and apply advanced technology, he stressed.
The move is expected to enhance the competitiveness and reputation of Vietnamese rice, Thanh added, who is also the head of the alliance’s rice research team.
Meanwhile, a report published by the alliance on October 21 showed that over the past two decades Vietnam’s rice export volume continued to increase, ensuring domestic food security and facilitating exports.
However, the increase in volume did not go hand-in-hand with an increase in farmers’ incomes.
Thanh also pointed out that export was the top priority for Vietnam’s rice sector, which acts as the main orientation for the country’s entire rice production.
In order to maximise profits, rice enterprises tended to push for the highest possible export volume, which leads to an over-exploitation of land, a lack of quality control and a careless selection of rice varieties. This poses a risk to the sustainable development of Vietnam’s rice production, particularly in the Mekong Delta region, he said.
He affirmed that exporters strongly affected Vietnam’s rice production chain. However, he recommended exporters invest more in rice husking facilities, a promising sector that businesses should expand into.
Members of the alliance agreed that the Government’s support policies benefitted buyers and export enterprises rather than enhancing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and supporting farmers, as originally intended.
In addition to the recommendations on the value of price and farmer participation, the alliance also proposed a number of practical solutions, including exempting domestic rice producers from the 5-percent value added tax, and increasing financial support and insurance for farmers to reduce their dependency on agricultural suppliers.
Thanh avowed that the alliance would continue to work towards the prompt adjustment of policies for the rice sector and farmers in an effort to increase the competitiveness of Vietnam’s agriculture.-VNA
