Making efforts to boost rice exports

4/11/2019 - 10:32:22 AM

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the first quarter of 2019, Vietnam's rice export volume was estimated at 1.43 million tonnes, worth US$ 593 million, down 3.5% in volume and 20.2% in value over the same period in 2018.

Illustrative image.

The average export price of rice in the first two months of the year only reached US$404 per tonne, down 17.8% compared to the same period in 2018. Difficulties in exporting rice in the first quarter have dragged down the price of rice in the Mekong Delta, especially in February, 2019, when entering the harvest of winter-spring rice.

Part of the reason for the decline in the volume of exported rice is due to the fact that the first few months of the year coincide with the Lunar New Year, plus domestic enterprises have not promoted delivery and traders who buy rice have not begun to trade yet. On the market side, in the early months of 2019, some countries still have surplus rice from 2018, so they have no demand for import which in turn makes the market less active.

In addition, China, one of Vietnam's major rice import markets for many years, has now reduced their rice purchases, which has had a relatively large impact. At the same time, measures to closely control food safety and hygiene for imported rice have been strengthened and there are more stringent regulations on the supervision and management of imported goods. Until now, only 21 Vietnamese enterprises are allowed to export rice to the Chinese market. The reduction of export indications has led to a sharp decline in rice export volume.

For other traditional markets such as the Philippines and Indonesia, Vietnam is also facing difficulties in boosting rice exports to these markets. Specifically, the Philippines is seeking to expand its rice supply by signing more memorandums of cooperation with Pakistan and Myanmar. Meanwhile, Indonesia has also restricted imports because the country's reserved rice is still sufficient until the end of the second quarter of 2019.

Facing the above situation, it is necessary to strengthen solutions to maintain traditional markets and penetrate new markets. Specially, it is necessary to pay attention to exporting high quality rice and specialty rice instead of white rice as before.

In addition, localities need to accelerate the effective implementation of the restructuring scheme of the rice industry, because the competition for rice quality is becoming a real "war" when the rice of some other countries in the region are constantly increasing competition for Vietnamese rice in terms of quality, value and ways of promoting their image. Therefore, in addition to improving quality, strengthening the promotion of rice trade in markets, and the promotion and image building for Vietnamese rice also are very important, therefore businesses and authorities should pay greater attention to these requirements. After building an image of high quality rice seeds with competitive prices, the export to fastidious markets will certainly become more open, creating new markets to stabilise the volume and turnover value.

Source: NDO

Hoa Binh fast-tracks new-style countryside development with strong base

Once a mountainous province facing many challenges, Hoa Binh has, after more than a decade of implementing the national target programme on new-style rural area development, emerged as a bright spot in Vietnam’s northern midland and mountainous region. In the first quarter of 2025, the province recorded positive results, paving the way for Hoa Binh to enter a phase of accelerated growth with a proactive and confident mindset.

High tech seen as key to sustainable farming in Hoa Binh

Hoa Binh province is steadily advancing its agricultural sector through the adoption of high-tech solutions, seen as a sustainable path for long-term development.

Hoa Binh reviews progress on key provincial projects

The steering committee for key projects of Hoa Binh province convened on May 14 to assess the progress of major ongoing developments

Hoa Binh attends "Meet Korea 2025" event

A delegation of Hoa Binh province has attended the "Meet Korea 2025" event, recently held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and the People's Committee of Hung Yen province.

Hoa Binh revives local heritage through OCOP programme

Hoa Binh province joined Vietnam’s national "One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme in 2019, not simply as a mountainous region following central policy, but with a clear vision to revive the cultural and agricultural values in its villages and crops.

OCOP Hoa Binh: Awakening local excellence - Journey from tradition to market

From just 16 certified products in its inaugural year to 158 by early 2025, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme in Hoa Binh province has followed a steady and strategic path. But beyond the numbers, it has reawakened local heritage, turning oranges, bamboo shoots, brocade, and herbal remedies into branded, market-ready goods - and, more profoundly, transformed how local communities value and present their own cultural identity.