Where is Nghe An on the rice export market 'map'?

Thanh Phuc• September 9, 2023 16:53

(Baonghean.vn) - For more than a month now, the whole world has been concerned about the issue of ensuring food security when India stopped exporting rice, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative Agreement... Vietnam is the third largest rice exporting country in the world, so where is Nghe An in the current rice export market?

Paradox of oversupply but having to import rice from other places for export

bna_lúa ngonn.jpg — Nghe An produces about 1.1 million tons of rice each year. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Cultivating 3 hectares of rice fields, Mr. Phan Xuan Toan's family (village 5, Nam Giang commune, Nam Dan) is one of the households that produces the most rice in the commune. He rents or borrows the land for rice production from other households that do not have the conditions to cultivate rice. Each year, he cultivates 2 crops, with a yield of 3 - 3.7 quintals/sao, he harvests over 20 tons of rice.

“Only a few sao are used to grow high-quality rice varieties such as Bac Thinh, Thom Jasmine, and Glutinous Rice to provide food for the family, the rest are high-yield hybrid rice varieties, sold to traders everywhere. The large output means we mainly sell fresh rice in the field to save drying time. The price of rice depends entirely on traders,” said Mr. Toan.

Also one of the households growing rice in Thanh Xuan commune (Thanh Chuong), each year, Mr. Vo Van Dai plants nearly 2 hectares of rice fields. The main rice varieties are Song Lam 9, Khang Dan and some other short-term varieties. The yield of 2 rice crops per year is approximately 12-13 tons, of which only about 1 ton is for food, the rest is for raising livestock, making wine and selling to traders or retailing to people in the area.

As a rice production and processing enterprise, Vinh Hoa Science and Technology Company Limited (Vinh Thanh, Yen Thanh) currently has 175 hectares of rice cultivation and 5,000 hectares associated with rice production households in Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Quang Nam. Accordingly, the annual output is up to 15,000 tons. Many high-quality rice varieties have been put into production by the company and have been well received by domestic consumers such as: AC5, Vinh Hoa 1 Herbal, VH6... However, up to now, the company's rice consumption market is still limited to the country, mainly the northern provinces and a small amount is exported to Laos.

Ms. Phan Thi Hao, Deputy Director of Vinh Hoa Science and Technology Co., Ltd. said: “Due to good control from the seed selection stage, supervision of the care process and the company's investment in a drying system with a capacity of 100 tons/day, the company's rice quality is very guaranteed, well received and highly appreciated by consumers. However, up to now, the company's rice is still only consumed domestically, mainly in the northern provinces.”

bna_bán lúa tại ruộng.jpg — Farmers sell fresh rice in the field to traders right after harvest. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Yen Thanh is considered the "rice granary" of the province. Every year, the spring rice cultivation area of Yen Thanh district alone reaches about 12,700 hectares; the regular yield reaches 72-73 quintals/hectare. The district has introduced advanced rice varieties, the hybrid rice area is more than 5,000 hectares, the remaining area is high-quality rice varieties of nearly 7,500 hectares, mainly Thai Xuyen, TBR225... With an output of approximately 180,000 tons/year, the amount of rice of the people is partly used for food, the majority is retailed to the domestic market through private traders.

Dien Chau is also one of the top localities in the province in terms of area, productivity and rice output. For many years, the district has directed to promote value addition by expanding the area of high-quality rice in production to increase product value such as: CS6, ADI 28, QP5, VNR 20, Cozy, TBR225, Long Huong 8117, Phu Uu 978... Many effective production models have been implemented in the direction of linking 4 houses, gradually forming concentrated commodity production areas, linking production with the market, improving productivity and income for farmers.

bna_thu hoạch lúa ở Nam Giang, ảnh T.P.jpg — High productivity, large output, but only a small amount is consumed by businesses, the remaining annual surplus rice is mainly sold to traders, retail to households in need or for livestock farming. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Mr. Le The Hieu - Head of the district's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: The total rice cultivation area of the district is over 9,000 hectares; of which 7,650 hectares are hybrid rice, accounting for 85% of the total rice area for the whole crop, 1,350 hectares are planted with pure rice varieties, all of which are delicious rice varieties, such as: BC15, VNR20, Thien Uu 8, TBR 225, Bac Thom 7 and BT09. The average rice yield is 74.5 quintals/hectare, the output is 67,050 tons/crop. High yield, large output, but only a small amount (300 hectares/9000 hectares) is contracted by enterprises, the remaining annual surplus rice is mainly sold to traders, retail to households in need or for livestock farming.

Currently, the whole province has 170,000 hectares of land for rice production with two crops per year, with an annual rice output of approximately 1.1 million tons. Of which, about 1/3 of the output serves the people's food, the remaining rice is sold to traders or retailed to the market to serve the processing of vermicelli, rice noodles or animal feed. According to the survey, of the 170,000 hectares of rice production, hybrid rice varieties, short-term rice varieties, good resistance to pests and diseases, high yield are mainly grown such as Thai Xuyen, Nhi Uu, VT 404... Currently, high-quality rice varieties are still few, only enough to serve the people's food needs, not enough output to supply the market. In particular, there are not many rice areas bearing the Nghe An rice brand, specialty rice varieties, endemic to the locality for export.

bna_lúa nhật.jpg — In the fields of Nghe An, specialty rice varieties are still quite rare. Photo: CSCC

Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen, Deputy General Director of Vilaconic Joint Stock Company, specializing in rice export in Nghi Phu (Vinh City) said: "Every year our company exports to 43 countries with an output of about 70,000 tons of rice. All of this rice is imported from the Mekong Delta provinces, processed, packaged and exported."

From the perspective of an experienced rice exporter, Ms. Nguyen Thi Duyen explained: The reason why Nghe An has no rice for export is because, currently, rice production in our province still has only one main crop, which is winter-spring rice, and the summer-autumn crop is mainly short-term varieties, with low quality rice and low yield, depending heavily on the weather.

Second, the rice variety structure in Nghe An is still hybrid rice varieties, short-term rice, high yield, high output but the quality and grade of rice do not meet export demand. In addition, logistics costs in Nghe An are quite high, pushing the price of commercial rice higher than the general level. That is the "barrier" that makes Nghe An not yet included in the country's rice export planning area.

bna_đóng gói 3.jpg — Every year, Vilaconic Joint Stock Company alone imports rice from the Mekong Delta provinces and exports about 70,000 tons of rice to 43 countries. Photo: Thanh Phuc

According to statistics from the Import-Export Department, Department of Industry and Trade,First 7 months of 2023,TurmericAnexported 28,592 tons of rice,soy saucecorresponding to the turnoverexport is17.23 million USD, nearly double that of the same period last year (The first 7 months of 2022 were 15,247 tons, equivalent to an export turnover of 10.72 million USD). Currently, Nghe An has 6 traders recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.Ministry of Industry and Trade issues Certificate of eligibility for rice export business.However, all exported rice is sold by Nghe An traders.sourceprovincesMekong Delta.

EnhanceLinking and building raw material areas for rice export

bna_liên kết sản xuất lúa ở Thanh Chương. Ảnh Thanh Phúc.JPG — Many models of linked fields have appeared, introducing new varieties into production and following care techniques to improve rice quality. Photo: Thanh Phuc

In the past 2 years, many cooperatives in Nghe An have linked up with companies and enterprises to produce high-quality rice; some large corporations have also organized and formed many areas for producing high-quality rice, organic rice associated with processing, building the Nghe An rice brand in some localities. This linkage model has opened up the way to put high-quality varieties into cultivation; apply scientific and technical advances in production; and comply with the principles of improved cultivation to ensure rice quality.

With the potential of land, farming techniques, high annual rice productivity and a large surplus of rice, Nghe An is fully capable of forming rice production areas for export. Ms. Phan Thi Hao, Deputy Director of Vinh Hoa Science and Technology Company Limited, said: "The construction of rice fields for export is completely promising. When Nghe An rice reaches export, the price will be high, the consumption market will be stable, farmers will increase their income, live on the fields and will be attached to the fields."

bna_kiểm tra gạo.jpg — Exported rice must meet strict criteria: high quality, nutritional content, aroma, stickiness and no pesticide residues... In the photo: Checking the quality of rice before packaging for export at Vilaconic Joint Stock Company. Photo: Thanh Phuc

However, to meet the standards for exported rice, the relevant authorities must accompany, support, and act as a "midwife" for farmers to change their awareness, switch from traditional rice production to applying new farming techniques, meeting food safety regulations, no pesticide residues, chemical fertilizers; introduce quality, delicious rice varieties to create quality rice grains, gradually build the reputation and brand of rice grains on Nghe An land. Synchronously deploy solutions to increase the proportion of rice areas certified with SRP, VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic standards... according to the actual needs of the market.

Applying digital technology to issue export-standard growing area codes for high-quality rice areas. At the same time, increasing the production area linked with consuming enterprises through cooperatives and cooperatives. Along with that, promoting the application of mechanization in the production stage, focusing on investing in the preservation of harvested rice to maintain the highest quality of rice.

bna_kt gạo ở vilaconic.jpg — Nghe An is encouraging farmers and businesses to step up research and development of high-yield, high-quality rice varieties that meet market demands. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Recent,July 26, 2023,People's Committee of Nghe An provinceAnIssue Official Dispatch No. 6128/UBND-KT on implementationdecisionNo. 583/QD-TTg dated May 26, 2023of the Prime Minister.According tothat, requestThe Department of Agriculture and Rural Development advises on policy mechanisms to encourage farmers and businesses to promote research and development of high-yield, high-quality rice varieties suitable for market requirements; Review and develop standards on production, processing and product quality suitable for international integration.

Provincial departments, branches, sectors, People's Committees of districts, cities and towns, according to their functions and tasks, promptly organize and effectively implement the Prime Minister's Decision.. In which, focus on buildingBuilding concentrated commodity production areas, improving rice quality to ensure standardsstandards on export goods and build policies to directly support farmers, creating conditions for expanding production. Along with that, creatingconditions, shorten the time to handle administrative procedures; support businesses, cooperatives, and individuals to grasp the market, strengthen production links, and build raw material areas to serve rice export business.