The 2nd Vietnam Rice Festival will be held in the Mekong delta province of Soc Trang from November 8-11, announced Quach Viet Tung, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee.
The deputy chairman announced this at a press conference on October 24.He said that the Festival aims to promote Vietnamese rice and honour outstanding farmers, rice exporters and scientists who have contributed to the country’s rice production.
It will also aim to develop a brand for Vietnamese rice and boost tourism and socio-economic development in Soc Trang Province.
Nearly 1,000 stalls will be installed at the Festival and three national and international seminars on ‘Positioning Vietnamese Rice’; ‘Development Path of Quality Vietnamese Rice’ and ‘Export of Vietnamese Rice’ will be held at the Festival venue.
The event will coincide with the much anticipated Khmer “Ngo Boat Race” in the Mekong Delta, which is part of the annual Ooc Om Boc Festival, the ethnic minority group’s most important annual festival.
Soc Trang expects to attract a large number of tourists on this occasion in which they can take part in folk games, enjoy traditional cuisines and learn more about the cultural traditions of the province.
Vietnam currently ranks second in the world in rice exports after Thailand, but the country’s promotion remains weak, according to market analysts.
Therefore the Rice Festival is a good opportunity to connect Vietnamese producers with domestic and foreign traders, and find more lucrative markets for Vietnamese rice products, according to Vo Minh Chien, Party Chief of Soc Trang Province and head of the Steering Board for the Festival.
The first Vietnamese Rice Festival took place in 2009 in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang.
The delta region contributes over half of the country’s rice output, 90 percent of rice export, 65 percent of fish produce and 70 percent of fruit.
