Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien speaks at the press conference. (Photo: VNA)

Rice export curbs by some countries like India, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will offer opportunities to both Vietnamese exporters and farmers, heard a regular press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi on August 1.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the ministry proposed the Prime Minister issue a directive on enhancing rice exports in the present context, which should identify tasks of ministries, agencies, localities and businesses.

After the issuance, ministries, agencies and localities will focus on removing obstacles to traders and farmers in order to optimise the opportunities to boost exports, he added.

The ministry reported that Vietnam shipped abroad 4.84 million tonnes of rice valued at 2.58 billion USD in the first seven months of this year, up 29.6% from the corresponding time last year.

The national rice output is expected to reach from 43.2-43.4 million tonnes this year, up 1.8-2% from 2022, the ministry said, noting that with the current production situation, the country is likely to meet domestic consumption and export from 7-7.5 million tonnes.

As of mid-July, localities had harvested over 24.1 million tonnes, up 0.4% year-on-year, with rice prices in the Mekong Delta - the country’s rice bowl - increasing in the month.

Nguyen Nhu Cuong, Director of the MARD’s Department of Crop Production, said given the hiking rice prices, the department has worked to raise the rice farming area for the autumn-winter crop in the Mekong Delta from 650,000 hectares to 700,000 hectares.

To reach the rice output target of 43 million tonnes, the department is coordinating with MARD's relevant agencies and localities in setting out cultivation plans and rolling out technical solutions, he said.

Cuong also noted that El Nino could hit rice production, especially the winter-spring crop in the Mekong Delta, saying although its impacts in Vietnam might be less severe than in other countries, vigilance should be maintained.

Regarding India’s ban on de-oiled rice bran export, Deputy Director of the MARD’s Department of Livestock Production Pham Kim Dang, told the press that Vietnam’s demand for de-oiled rice bran is not big as the country needs about 4.7 million tonnes of de-oiled rice bran each year, of which only 0.7 million tonnes is imported.

Rice bran can be replaced with wheat bran, he said, stressing that the ban is not a concern for the domestic husbandry sector.

Under the MARD’s rice export proposal to the PM, the ministry said it will supervise production in localities, instruct plant quarantine agencies to facilitate rice production and keep a close watch on market developments in order to achieve the target.

The ministry also suggested what should be done by other relevant ministries and agencies like the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the People’s Committees of centrally-run cities and provinces./.