Cooperatives, enterprises, farmers are onnected to produce high-quality rice
The year 2021 has just ended, it was thought that the rice industry would be stagnant due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, but the Vietnamese rice brand has been impressively recognized in the export market.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2021, the rice-growing area has decreased by nearly 40,000 hectares, but Vietnam exported rice amounting to nearly 43.86 million tons, an increase of 1.1 million tons compared to 2020.
In particular, Vietnamese rice grains have made a mark on the export market, especially in the high-end rice segment.
Farmers and localities in the Mekong Delta - popularly known as the rice bowl of Vietnam, have made great efforts in changing the structure of rice varieties in the direction of added value.
Previously, farmers focused on producing rice seeds in the low-quality rice segment, accounting for 60 percent of the export rate whereas the rate of using high-quality rice varieties is over 77 percent export rate.
In mid-2021 when the Covid-19 epidemic affected production and business activities, farmers and exporters faced difficulties in the export of rice. A working team of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the South and the agriculture and industry sectors of the Mekong Delta provinces have connected to promote the sale of agricultural products on electronic platforms.
According to farmers, agricultural cooperatives quickly connected with companies to put farm products on the website. Many cooperatives producing fragrant rice in Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta region are also taking advantage of this form to sell.
Accordingly, they reaped a fruitful harvest. Customers from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho have ordered more than 7,000 tons of Vi Thuy clean rice; helping rice growers to make profits, said Mr. Nguyen Van Thich, deputy director of Tan Long Cooperative in Vi Thuy District in Hau Giang Province.
Tan Long Cooperative first received orders from businesses, then farmers will produce under the order. Many farmers in the Ca Mau peninsula who produce fragrant rice of the ST line also follow this method. This is a remarkable change for Mekong Delta farmers.
After winning the prize for best rice in the world in 2019, ST25 fragrant rice won first prize in the 2020 Vietnam Best Rice Contest. Vietnam can plan a planting area with geographical indications, clear traceability, especially coastal brackish water for high-quality rice, clean production following European and American standards... with a large volume of goods, standard packaging, and labels Internationally, competitive prices are around US$1,000 a ton, said Dr. Duong Van Chin, former deputy director of the Mekong Delta Rice Institute.
More connection between cooperatives and farmers in the production of rice according to the orders of enterprises is gradually increasing each season in the Mekong Delta. In particular, more farmers in Tra Vinh, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Vinh Long provinces are pursuing smart rice production, climate change adaptation, and the use of environmentally friendly organic fertilizers.
According to data from the Vietnam Food Association, in 2021, the proportion of high-quality rice will account for over 89 percent of exported rice, contributing to raising the average export price from $496 a ton in 2020 to more than $503 a ton and the value of rice export in 2021 is estimated at $3.27 billion.
In particular, businesses have made good use of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) to export 80,000 tons of rice to the EU market. If they continue taking advantage of incentives from the EVFTA, they can export about 100,000 tons of broken rice to the EU in the following years.
