Vietnam has sufficient supplies to export 7.3 million tonnes of ricein 2012, officials said at a recent meeting held in the Cuu Long(Mekong) Delta province of Dong Thap.
The meeting aimed to review results of the 2011-12 winter-spring crop.
However, to promote the export potential, the Vietnam Food Association(VFA) should help its members find buyers for the rice, said Bui BaBong, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Bong asked VFA to launch a campaign to build brand names for Vietnameserice, especially those for Vietnamese fragrant rice and high-qualityrice, including the "Vietnam Jasmine Rice".
He said astrong brand name can help Vietnam boost its export of fragrant ricefrom the current 500,000 tonnes to 1 million tonnes annually and canalso help to promote the export of "super high-quality" rice.
He also asked provincial departments of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment to carry out plans to reduce the area dedicated tocultivating the low-quality IR 50404 variety.
A slump in rice export, especially of less than 6.5 million tonnes per year, would affect farmers' living standards, he added.
With 3.5 million tonnes of rice produced from the last winter – springcrop, plus 1.1 million tonnes of rice in reserves from last year,Vietnam now has 4.6 million tonnes of rice for export, said VFAChairman Truong Thanh Phong.
Phong said Vietnam 's riceexport was estimated at 1 to 1.1 million tonnes in the first quarterand from 1.5 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes in the second quarter ofthe year.
Rice prices were expected to rise in the nearfuture, with sharp increases in the prices of fragrant and high-qualityrice and lower increments in the prices of low-quality IR 50404 would bea little bit higher, Phong added.
According to theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Cultivation Department,the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta has 1,578 ha under rice cultivation withan average yield of 6.72 tonnes per hectare for the 2011-12winter-spring crop.
The South-eastern region has over 120,000 ha under rice cultivation, with an average yield of 5.58 tonnes per ha.
In the last winter-spring crop, the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta produced11.27 million tonnes of paddy compared with 11.16 million tonnes in the2010 – 11 winter-spring crop.
The large-scale ricecultivation model and application of VietGAP (Vietnamese GoodsAgriculture Practices) standards have attracted more and more farmersand organisations, the meeting heard.
The departmentreported that rice varieties have been improved, helping better theyield and quality of rice produced in the region.-VNA
The meeting aimed to review results of the 2011-12 winter-spring crop.
However, to promote the export potential, the Vietnam Food Association(VFA) should help its members find buyers for the rice, said Bui BaBong, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Bong asked VFA to launch a campaign to build brand names for Vietnameserice, especially those for Vietnamese fragrant rice and high-qualityrice, including the "Vietnam Jasmine Rice".
He said astrong brand name can help Vietnam boost its export of fragrant ricefrom the current 500,000 tonnes to 1 million tonnes annually and canalso help to promote the export of "super high-quality" rice.
He also asked provincial departments of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment to carry out plans to reduce the area dedicated tocultivating the low-quality IR 50404 variety.
A slump in rice export, especially of less than 6.5 million tonnes per year, would affect farmers' living standards, he added.
With 3.5 million tonnes of rice produced from the last winter – springcrop, plus 1.1 million tonnes of rice in reserves from last year,Vietnam now has 4.6 million tonnes of rice for export, said VFAChairman Truong Thanh Phong.
Phong said Vietnam 's riceexport was estimated at 1 to 1.1 million tonnes in the first quarterand from 1.5 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes in the second quarter ofthe year.
Rice prices were expected to rise in the nearfuture, with sharp increases in the prices of fragrant and high-qualityrice and lower increments in the prices of low-quality IR 50404 would bea little bit higher, Phong added.
According to theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Cultivation Department,the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta has 1,578 ha under rice cultivation withan average yield of 6.72 tonnes per hectare for the 2011-12winter-spring crop.
The South-eastern region has over 120,000 ha under rice cultivation, with an average yield of 5.58 tonnes per ha.
In the last winter-spring crop, the Cuu Long ( Mekong ) Delta produced11.27 million tonnes of paddy compared with 11.16 million tonnes in the2010 – 11 winter-spring crop.
The large-scale ricecultivation model and application of VietGAP (Vietnamese GoodsAgriculture Practices) standards have attracted more and more farmersand organisations, the meeting heard.
The departmentreported that rice varieties have been improved, helping better theyield and quality of rice produced in the region.-VNA
