(VOVworld)-Rice has long been one of Vietnam’s most competitive agricultural products in the global market. But reform is urgently needed for sustainable rice production as the international integration process is posing numerous challenges to the sector. 

Vietnam considers rice a strategic and irreplaceable component of its farm production. The Government has included rice production in 2 of 3 major national economic programs and invested heavily in irrigation, seedlings, and intensive and extensive farming development. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc told a recent conference on sustainable rice production in the Mekong Delta: “We will not only try to maintain our position as one of the world’s top rice exporters but also ensure that our rice has the best possible added values in the next one or two decades by meeting universal standards of nutrition and health. We must create breakthroughs in both policy and growth model to reform the rice sector.”

Vietnamese rice is now available in 150 countries with major markets including China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Ivory Coast. Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade, talked about plans to boost rice production and exports: “It’s time to concentrate on building a brand for Vietnamese rice in world markets. It’s essential to improve the quality of rice and strengthen coordination between farmers, processors, exporters, and logistics networks to form a production chain”.

Vietnam aims to build sustainable rice production zones and earn a global reputation for Vietnamese rice in terms of quality and food safety by 2030.