Prime Minister directs to ensure food security, promote sustainable rice production and export

Winter-Spring crop harvest 2022 - 2023 (documentary photo)

She stated: In recent times, the global food trade situation has been complicated, rice prices have tended to increase due to some countries banning exports, reducing rice sales, some other countries increasing rice reserves, the Black Sea Grain Agreement has expired, and the impact of extreme weather events, natural disasters and droughts... In Vietnam, some localities have seen massive purchases of rice, causing a local imbalance in supply and demand, pushing domestic rice prices unreasonably high.

To ensure national food security in all situations, while promoting the potential and advantages in rice production and export market opportunities, increasing people's income, avoiding speculation, illegal profiteering, causing instability in the market and reputation of Vietnamese rice, the Prime Minister requested Ministers, Heads of relevant ministries and agencies; Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities; Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association and rice export traders to focus on directing and resolutely implementing a number of tasks.

Ensuring the production target of over 43 million tons of rice/year

Specifically, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development presides over and coordinates with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to direct localities to review planning orientations and develop large-scale, high-quality commercial rice production areas, ensure land areas specialized in rice cultivation, closely monitor weather, natural disasters, and epidemics to promptly adjust production, ensuring the production target of over 43 million tons of rice/year in the following years. Urgently deploy the development, timely and effective implementation of the Project "Sustainable development of one million hectares of specialized high-quality, low-emission rice associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030".

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall preside over and coordinate with the Minister of Industry and Trade, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, and Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association to closely monitor developments in the regional and world rice market, the production situation, and rice output by type and season of the year to balance rice sources to serve domestic rice consumption and export needs, firmly ensuring national food security in all situations.

Preside over and coordinate with the Minister of Industry and Trade and heads of relevant agencies to continue monitoring, promoting negotiations, and removing technical barriers to expand Vietnam's rice export market. Timely guide and advise localities, businesses and farmers to strictly comply with the regulations of Vietnam and importing countries.

Actively regulate rice production, trading and export activities

Winter-Spring rice is purchased by traders (documentary photo)

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to direct, inspect and supervise rice export business activities, ensure national food security and comply with legal regulations; closely monitor the market situation, world rice trade, movements of producing and exporting countries, promptly inform ministries, branches, Vietnam Food Association, rice export traders to proactively regulate rice production, business and export activities, ensuring suitability and efficiency.

Urgently complete and submit to the Government a draft Decree amending and supplementing Decree No. 107/2018/ND-CP dated August 15, 2018 of the Government on rice export business, which requires strict, specific and feasible regulations on conditions for rice export business, quality of rice, exported rice goods, traders must cooperate with rice growers in building raw material areas, production, consumption of rice, rice..., creating a public, transparent, fair, favorable business environment and ensuring the legitimate interests of rice farmers, maintaining the reputation of Vietnamese rice products.

The Minister of Industry and Trade shall preside over and coordinate with the heads of relevant agencies to implement programs and activities on trade, promotion of Vietnamese rice products and brands, and rice trade promotion in line with the new situation to increase the value of Vietnamese rice products; effectively exploit the preferential mechanisms of FTAs ​​of which our country is a member in order to diversify and capture new and potential markets and enhance the competitiveness of the Vietnamese rice industry. Guide and support rice traders and exporters to improve their production and business capacity, the ability to negotiate, sign and implement export contracts and effectively handle international trade disputes, enhance the reputation and brand value of Vietnamese rice in the international market.

Timely support for producers and traders

The Prime Minister also requested the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, in accordance with their functions, tasks and powers assigned by the Government, to proactively and promptly direct the implementation of price stabilization measures, support rice producers, rice exporters and traders in accordance with the law.

The Minister of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Minister of Industry and Trade to calculate and balance appropriate and effective rice reserves, and absolutely not let people lack food or rice during crop failures, natural disasters, epidemics, etc.

Strictly handle cases of illegal profiteering, pushing up rice prices

Export rice warehouse of Long An Food Company, belonging to Southern Food Corporation - JSC (Vinafood 2)

The Prime Minister also requested the Chairmen of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to proactively direct and manage the organization of rice production to ensure the targets of productivity, quality and output according to the plan. Timely provide information to relevant ministries and branches on the output and types of unsold rice and paddy and the expected yield and output of rice and paddy by type and production season in the area to serve the management of rice export.

At the same time, direct the competent authorities to closely monitor the situation, inspect and supervise the production, circulation and consumption of rice in the area and maintain the minimum circulation reserve of rice export traders according to regulations; strictly handle cases of speculation, illegal profiteering, pushing up rice prices unreasonably high, causing instability in the domestic market and the reputation of the Vietnamese rice brand in the international market.

Proactively grasp the situation and new information, promptly respond to situations arising in the locality to periodically or suddenly report at the request of the Government and relevant ministries and branches on the output, types of rice, and unsold commodity rice and expected yield and harvest output of rice and rice by type and production season in the locality to promote rice production, export and ensure domestic food security.

The Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association strengthens coordination with relevant agencies of ministries, branches and localities to promptly update and convey information on the supply and demand situation of rice, new regulations and policies of foreign markets to the members of the Association. Timely report to relevant ministries and branches on arising issues and propose solutions to ensure national food security and efficiency in rice export management.

Strengthen coordination with ministries, branches and localities in directing and guiding Association members to purchase rice and paddy, maintain compulsory circulation reserves, and stabilize the market according to the provisions of law; focus on organizing training courses on skills to penetrate target markets and exploit preferential commitments in FTAs; guide and support rice exporting enterprises to effectively respond to technical barriers of new markets and trade defense measures; coordinate the fight at all levels and in all forums against excessive trade protection measures that are inconsistent with international commitments of import markets, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of member enterprises.

Rice export traders must strictly maintain the minimum circulating reserve level, and report periodically and suddenly as required by relevant ministries and branches and according to Government regulations; proactively monitor the global rice trade situation, exchange information with the Vietnam Food Association to promptly report to relevant ministries and branches on arising issues and propose solutions. Carefully research partners before signing contracts, and be especially careful in delivering, receiving and paying for shipments to avoid being scammed.

Ministers, Heads of relevant agencies and Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, according to their assigned functions, tasks and powers, shall seriously, resolutely, synchronously and effectively implement this Directive together with the tasks and solutions directed by the Prime Minister in: Official Dispatch No. 610/CD-TTg dated July 3, 2023 on strengthening the implementation of tasks and solutions to promote rice production and export; Decision No. 583/QD-TTg dated May 26, 2023 approving the Strategy for developing Vietnam's rice export market to 2030.

According to Tin Tuc Newspaper