The third Viet Nam Rice Festival to be held in the southern province of Long An from December 18 to 24 will seek to honour and promote Vietnamese rice in the global market, organisers said yesterday.

To be held at Tan An, the festival will feature an exhibition on Viet Nam’s rice production and export achievements, machinery and materials used in the agricultural sector and a rice quality contest.

There would be seminars and business meetings for those involved in rice production to exchange information and explore co-operation, the organisers said.

Importantly, there will be a ceremony to unveil a logo for Vietnamese rice.

Speaking at a media briefing, Pham Minh Hung, a permanent board member of the Viet Nam Farmers Union’s central committee, said the festival would be a forum for farmers and businesses to promote their products and for organisers to strengthen linkages between farmers, scientists, businesses, and other stakeholders.

It would seek to build a sustainable value chain and raise the profile of the Vietnamese rice brand globally, he added.

According to the organisers, some 422 businesses and localities had registered as of November 5 to participate in the festival.

Nguyen Anh Dung of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said a new Government’s decree that took effect on October 1 removed difficulties and legal barriers for rice exporters seeking to expand to foreign markets.

Saying that as of September 15 Viet Nam had shipped over 4.7 million tonnes of rice for US$2.38 billion, up 9.3 per cent and 24.8 per cent year-on-year, he attributed the impressive achievement to the effective rice sector restructuring programme, which focuses on developing high-quality and fragrant rice to bolster exports to difficult markets.

Eighty per cent of the grain exported now are classified as high-quality and sold at more than $500 per tonne, he said.

The event will be organised by the Viet Nam Farmers Union, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Long An Province. — VNS