The Mekong Delta provinces aim to implement a number of programmes to enhance their post-harvest rice quality, according to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development.

From now through to 2020, the localities plan to receive power-driven help for up to 80 percent of their rice growing area by using up to 25,000 additional machines in their harvest and post-harvest activities.

In 2015, they target having at least 50 percent of rice coverage harvested and dried by machines.

An additional 70 modern drying systems, with a capacity of 10-30 tonnes of rice per hour, will be introduced across the region, along with establishing a close link with centres for processing rice for export by 2017.

A project is also underway to upgrade the facilities and capacity of the regional storage system to four million tonnes of rice, up from around one million tonnes. Rice will be kept for longer and in better conditions.

The efforts are expected to reduce rice production costs and post-harvest losses, while increasing annual revenue and production efficiency for farmers, processors and exporters alike.

The Mekong Delta has some 2.3 million ha of land for rice cultivation with two main crops a year, producing between 12- 14 million tonnes each year, of which 12 percent is lost due to lack of drying facilities.-VNA