Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agrees to resume rice exports
The Prime Minister has just allowed rice exports to resume, initially 400,000 tons in April.
On April 10, the Government Office announced the conclusion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a meeting on rice exports amid the pandemic and drought. Accordingly, Vietnam will resume rice exports and in April will clear customs for about 400,000 tons.
"The Ministries of Industry and Trade and Agriculture and Rural Development are responsible to the Prime Minister and inspection and examination agencies for the content and data reported and proposed," the Government Office's document stated.
After this decision, a representative of the Import-Export Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) said that this agency will issue a Circular announcing the rice export quota for April. Exporting enterprises register to open a declaration at customs and customs will deduct until the quota is exhausted. Enterprises do not need to apply for a trip export license at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
In order to avoid affecting food security or rice shortages, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement a rice export plan. Rice exports must also ensure the rights of farmers and businesses and minimize disruptions to the rice production chain.
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| Farmers in Thanh An commune, Vinh Thanh district, Can Tho city harvest winter-spring rice in early March 2020.Photo: Thanh Tran |
Before April 25, the Ministry of Industry and Trade must report to the Prime Minister the rice export plan for May and the rice market management scenario in 2020 if Covid-19 persists.
The Ministry of Finance is assigned to manage and control the amount of rice allowed to be exported, to prevent negative events and policy abuses, and to provide rice export data as requested by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to serve rice export management. The Ministry of Finance is also required to urgently purchase enough rice for this year's reserve, 190,000 tons, and to purchase additional reserves if necessary.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is responsible for working with localities to promote agricultural production, ensuring adequate supply of domestic food needs, and partly for export.
Previously, at a meeting with the Government on March 23, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also proposed to stop rice exports until the end of May to ensure food security. This proposal was later approved by the Prime Minister. But just one day later, the Ministry again asked the Government to continue exporting rice. The sudden halt in rice exports left businesses unable to react. Reporting to the Prime Minister on April 6, this agency continued to propose to export 800,000 tons in April and May after "careful calculation".