7,000 billion VND to restructure the rice industry

The restructuring project aims to maintain and flexibly use 3.8 million hectares of rice-growing land to ensure food security and improve land use efficiency.

Rice production in the West is determined to target domestic and foreign markets in the high-quality rice segment. Photo: Cuu Long

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has just approved the project to restructure Vietnam's rice industry for the period 2020-2030 with a total investment of nearly 7,000 billion VND.

According to Mr. Tran Xuan Dinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production,bBesides meeting the domestic market, Vietnam continues to promote rice export towards increasing value and sustainable development...

There are 25 programs and projects focused on implementation, including planning, reviewing and completing planning of field infrastructure, converting rice land; researching and creating varieties; organizing production and mechanization; processing, market development, brand building, etc.

Of which, the completion of fields, upgrading of traffic and irrigation systems within fields, and the electricity system serving production in specialized rice growing areas in the West, the Red River Delta and the South Central Coast has an investment capital of up to 5,000 billion VND; implemented from 2017 to 2022.

One of the most important solutions is to restructure rice production. Accordingly, by 2020, maintain and flexibly use 3.8 million hectares of rice land to ensure food security and improve land use efficiency.

The project sets out regional rice production orientations. Specifically, in the Mekong Delta, targeting domestic and foreign markets in the high-quality rice segment. Converting rice production areas in low-efficiency areas to other crops or aquaculture; reducing spring-summer rice areas and third-crop rice (autumn-winter) areas in areas where conditions are not met. At the same time, building fragrant rice production areas for export in freshwater alluvial and coastal areas.

Rice production in the Red River Delta is oriented towards the domestic market, mainly the capital Hanoi and urban areas in the region; with the increasing trend of consuming specialty rice and high-quality rice. The coastal provinces of the Central Delta have stabilized the production of two rice crops in areas with proactive irrigation water sources; mainly serving domestic consumption...

The Mekong Delta has a large rice growing area, with an annual output of 25-26 million tons (accounting for nearly 60% of the country); supplying 95% of Vietnam's rice exports; ensuring jobs and income for nearly ten million rural workers...

According to VNE