Việt Nam to establish national rice council for sustainable production, export

Harvesting rice in Quảng Trị Province. Establishment of a national rice council is necessary to promote the sustainable goals of the rice production industry. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade are expected to shortly submit a proposal to establish a national rice council the Government.

At a meeting on August 6, Nguyễn Anh Sơn, director of the Import-Export Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that the ministry is drafting a submission to the Government on the establishment of the national council.

On August 1 the ministry sent an official dispatch to other ministries, branches, localities and associations to gather opinions about establishing a council before reporting back.

According to the draft, the proposed members of the council include one chairman of the council held by the Deputy Prime Minister with two permanent vice chairmen of the council from the Minister of Industry and Trade and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The council members would be representatives of leadership from the ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Planning and Investment, Finance, Science and Technology, and Foreign Affairs and the localities producing rice.

The council will be responsible for researching and proposing to the Government strategies, mechanisms and policies to create a transparent and effective legal environment, ensure stable market development, promote comprehensive and effective development of the rice industry, contribute to national food security and sustainable development in production and exports.

At the meeting, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan pointed out that rice is not only for export, it is also for domestic consumption and in addition Việt Nam imports rice.

The rice industry is also reacting to climate change and green growth with a project on developing one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta region by 2030.

According to Minister Hoan, besides removing the limitations of the rice industry, the national rice council would quickly handle emerging issues such as Thailand and India having new and sudden policies on rice exports or the Vietnamese ST 25 rice brand being counterfeited.

Hoan said that the council would meet once a year, but also have ad hoc meetings. 

According to Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyễn Hồng Diên, rice production is still fragmented without advanced technology. Rice exports are still dependent on traditional markets, so the export market for Vietnamese rice is not diversified.

Excluding a few large enterprises, companies are not proactive in terms of material use, production chains and calculating long-term profits.

Minister Diên said that Vietnamese rice completely meets the high demanding markets. Although there is a Vietnamese rice brand, it has not been used in production and export activities, enterprises have not united to protect the brand and there is still unfair competition.

The rice production industry still lacks a stable and solid development strategy and policy, and there is still spontaneity in production and in each enterprise. This is a key industry but the investment from the State in production, trading and export is still too small. 

“If this council is established, it will propose the Government have strong and feasible policies, so that Vietnamese rice has higher value and is a brand in the world market,” Minister Diên said.

According to Diên, with the goal of multi-value, diversified products, diversified markets and income for rice growers, green production and effective use of resources, the rice production industry really needs an agency effective coordinating between ministries, localities and associations in production, trading and export of Vietnamese rice. That is the national rice council.

Trần Công Thắng, director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development, said that the rice industry needs strategic solutions for growers and localities producing rice and comprehensive strategies on dealing with issues such as changes in rice production and trading policies of other countries, climate change, consumer changes, trade disputes, copyright protection and new trends.

Therefore, the establishment of this council is necessary to solve those issues and propose solutions on carrying out the sustainable development goal of the rice production industry, said Thắng.

In countries with strategic export industries having effects on the global market such as the oil palm industry of Malaysia, the coffee industry of Brazil and the rice industry of Thailand, they have similar councils, in addition to organisations of producers and traders such as associations and unions.

This is an agency that connects State ministries and organisations representing parts in the value chain like farmers, processors and traders and between localities producing rice. Along with that, it supports solving major issues and advises the Government on major policies relating to rice production and business.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have changed their import policies to ensure national food security, affecting Việt Nam’s rice export activities. Therefore, Nguyễn Ngọc Nam, chairman of the Việt Nam Food Association believes that the establishment of the National Rice Council is necessary for Việt Nam to have sustainable development in rice production and export.

Nguyễn Tiến Cường, head of the Economic Committee, Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, and Trần Sơn Hà, General Director of the Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) expressed their agreement with the council proposal to solve inter-sectoral macro issues. At the same time, the representative of Vinafood 1 added that the council should consider and add the issue of managing domestic rice consumption to its tasks.

Chairman of the Đồng Tháp Provincial People’s Committee Phạm Thiện Nghĩa welcomed the idea of establishing of the national rice council.

“We hope that the ministers will promote the establishment of this council sooner and faster to effectively remove existing difficulties for regions and the industry of producing rice and to promote the advantages and strengths in the rice production industry in the future,” Nghĩa said. — VNS