Workers at Hau River Food Company in the southern Can Tho Province load rice for export. (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNS/VNA)-Vietnameserice producers and exporters should focus on quality and supplying productsthat are in demand to sustain the production and export of the grain and addvalue to the grain, heard a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on October 17.
Speaking at the meeting held to discuss Vietnam’sRice Market Development Strategy from 2017 to 2020, Phan Van Chinh, head of theMinistry of Industry and Trade’s import-export department, said the global ricemarket had seen changes, with major importing countries increasing domesticproduction.
“Free trade agreements theoretically createopportunities for Vietnam to boost exports to these markets, but to do soVietnamese rice must meet the quality standards set by these markets.”
To achieve sustainable production and export,the Government has approved a strategy for the 2017–20 period.
Tran Xuan Long of the import-exportdepartment said one of the goals of the strategy was to gradually reduce riceexport volume but increase value.
USSD.
Between 2021 and 2030 the annual volume isexpected to be around four million tonnes, earning 2.3 billion - 2.5 billionUSD. The make-up of the exports would also be restructured then, with a focuson increasing the export of fragrant, speciality, japonica and high-grade whiterice, he said.
Vietnam would focus on Asian and Africanmarkets, with China, Bangladesh and ASEAN members such as the Philippines,Malaysia and Indonesia remaining key markets.
Huynh Minh Hue, general secretary of the VietnamFood Association, said the main varieties of rice traded in global markets arebasmati, parboil, fragrant, white broken rice, sticky rice, japonica, and whitelong-grain rice.
Vietnam is well placed in terms of stickyrice, fragrant, white broken rice, and white long-grain rice, he said.
He said rice traders should “capitalise ontheir advantages to develop nearby and traditional markets whose demandsdovetail with Vietnam’s conditions.”
To improve the competitiveness of ricetraders, which is one of the measures in the strategy, businesses should focuson improving quality and marketing and cut costs, he said.
Rice traders and exporters should establishlinks with farmers to ensure supply meets market demand and efficiency, hesaid.
Pham Thai Binh, general director of TrungAn Hi-tech Farming JSC, said rice traders who have contracted farmers that usesafe production processes have bagged export orders from the beginning.
The country should have zoning plans foreach variety of rice based on soil conditions in different areas and usetechnology to improve the quality and value, he said.
Delegates at the meeting called on theGovernment to speed up negotiations and sign agreements on hygiene and foodsafety standards with importing countries.
The Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment should decide on and apprise exporters about the process of qualityinspection and hygiene and food safety regulations in line with thoseagreements, they said.
Relevant agencies should review seaportplanning and speed up loading and unloading of goods at ports to reducelogistics costs, they said.
They called for cooperation among tradersin promoting exports.
According to the VFA, Vietnam is expectedto export 5.6 million tones of rice this year.-VNA
VNA
