Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged ministries, sectors and localities to work hard to enhance the added-value of Vietnamese rice.

In the instruction No 180/TB-VPCP, the PM said authorities need to continue reforming legal frameworks and operational structures in line with the trend worldwide to ensure Vietnamese rice better meets the demand of regional and global consumers.

Ministries, sectors, associations and enterprises should accelerate the expansion of cultivable land and develop models for large-scale fields and concentrated goods production, the document noted.

Support should be provided to strengthen links between cooperatives and enterprises; new-styled cooperatives should be established; value-chains for rice production, processing and consumption should be developed; and agricultural labour should be reduced and shifted to other sectors.

Rice production planning needs to be reviewed while certain areas need to be zoned off for growing rice in line with food security targets, market demand and climate change. Low-efficiency rice growing areas and salt-infected land should be used to raise shrimp and grow other crops to increase efficiency.

Domestic and global demand should be calculated while anticipating the development of rice production in Viet Nam and other nations, the document stated.

The PM also requested the agriculture sector to reform science and technology application and devise incentives for research and development of high-yield and market-relevant rice varieties.

The rice sector needs to aim for multiple tasks, not only ensuring food security, but also promoting exports, food safety, environmental protection and climate change adaptation, the prime minister noted in the document.

The sector should mechanise production to enhance efficiency while applying advanced technology in production, processing and preservation to reduce post-harvest losses. Supervision need to be strengthened to control the use of fertilisers and pesticides in production.

Focus should be placed on building and upgrading the irrigation system and climate change adapting works.

The document also stated that the sector needs to maintain traditional markets, while stepping up trade promotion in potential markets to expand.

The PM urged the sector to develop brand names for Vietnamese rice and rice enterprises to improve competitiveness at home and abroad. — VNS