Up to 205 local traders nationwide were permitted to export rice as of January 18, following a list released by the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Agency of Foreign Trade.
Thousands of rice farmers in the northern province of Thai Binh are benefiting from a programme meant to help them adopt innovative technologies and approaches to increase yields while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a meeting heard in Ho Chi Minh City on December 25.
Authorities have instructed farmers in the Mekong Delta to sow the summer-autumn rice crop on established schedules to mitigate the damage of drought, saltwater intrusion and disease.
More rice farmers in Can Tho city have switched to other crops or have rotated the cultivation of rice with other crops to increase income and cope with drought.
Thailand’s rice sector is enduring one of its most difficult periods as a strong baht has made its exports uncompetitive, said Chookiat Ophaswongse, Honorary President of the Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA).
Facing water shortages, farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang have grown corn on nearly 2,000ha of rice fields for the 2018-19 winter-spring crop.
In 2018, Vietnam’s total rice exports reached 6.15 million tonnes, with export turnover of 3.15 billion USD. The industry saw a 5.7 percent increase in volume and a 19.6 percent increase in value compared to 2017.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta have had a bumper harvest of giant river prawns at good prices because of favourable weather conditions and high market demand.
Farmers in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap have begun to use more than 3,000ha of low-yield rice fields for growing fruits and other crops this year.
Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) on October 19 raised official concerns over the emerging drought crisis in the country's northeastern region.
Following recent criticism of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has reduced the association’s power, with further plans to promote fairness in rice exports.
The Commerce Ministry of Thailand plans to hold talks with the Thai BAAC on releasing 900,000 tonnes of hom mali rice to encourage farmers to delay selling their stocks
President of the Rice Exporters Association of Thailand Charoen Laothammatas expects that the association will be able to export around 9.5 million tons of rice this year.
The cabinet of Thailand has approved a package worth 87.2 billion THB (2.6 billion USD) to support rice farmers and stabilise prices ahead of the 2017-2018 harvest, which starts in November.