An Giang (VNA) – It’s time to comprehensivelyreform rice production since the staple plays an irreplaceable role in thecountry’s agriculture, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized whilechairing a conference on March 15 to seek ways to develop the sectorsustainably in the Mekong Delta – the rice hub of the country.

The Mekong Delta provides up to 90 percent ofVietnam’s rice export volume thanks to special advantages for agriculture suchas flat terrain, fertile soil, and abundant water supply from the Mekong River.Vietnamese rice has been shipped to more than 150 countries with China, thePhilippines, Malaysia, and the Ivory Coast as the biggest importers.

An estimated 787,235 tonnes of rice worth over328 million USD were exported in the first two months of 2017, down 18.5percent in volume and 21.4 percent in value from a year earlier.

The rice sector is facing a high loss rate and over-15-percentbroken accounting for up to 36 percent of export rice, according to reports atthe conference in Long Xuyen city of An Giang province.

Other problems in the Mekong Delta includeclimate change impacts such as drought, sea level rise, and saltwaterintrusion, along with changes in the water resources due to economic activitiesof countries in the upper Mekong River.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNguyen Xuan Cuong said rice farmers in the region are still poor as they gainthe lowest benefits in the rice production chain. Each family that cultivatesthree rice crops a year earns 35 – 40 million VND (1,530 – 1,750 USD) in profitper hectare, about 2.7 times lower than in Thailand and 1.5 times lower than inIndonesia and the Philippines.

In his speech, PM Phuc said rice plays anirreplaceable role in Vietnam’s agriculture, which forms a pillar of theeconomy. Agricultural exports brought home over 32 billion USD in 2016. Almost50 percent of the country’s workforce engages in agricultural activities.

Rice is also one of the strategic agriculturalproducts, giving Vietnam a considerable competitive edge in compared to otherrivals.

He said the country needs to strive for toppingin terms of rice export revenue in the world. In the next one or two decades,Vietnamese rice should bring about the best added values by satisfying generalnutritious and medicinal demand and standards.

He asked for the rice sector to launch acomprehensive reform by breakthrough solutions in terms of policies anddevelopment models. He suggested expanding the land ceiling limit for eachfarming household in an appropriate manner.

Rice farming land must be kept, but the croppingcalendar and intercropping must be considered, the Government leader said.

The rice sector also needs to pay more attentionto the domestic market of nearly 100 million people to prevent imported rice’sdomination, he added.

The PM requested localities and the agricultureministry to pursue a flexible and wise food security policy. They shouldencourage private investment in agriculture, expand the land use right, andabolish unnecessary regulations to boost the sector’s development.

They must rely on people and science-technology,not the State, to develop agriculture, he stressed.

The conference targeted that profit for rice growersin commercial rice production areas must account for at least 30 percent of thetotal revenue. The area of certified rice varieties should make up over 75percent by 2020 and 100 percent by 2030. Post-harvest loss must be reduced tounder 8 percent and the greenhouse gas emissions must be cut down by 10-20percent from at present.

A notable solution proposed at the event wasbasing on specific conditions of each area to convert ineffective rice farmingland into areas for aquaculture or planting trees with better economicbenefits.

During his working trip to An Giang, PM Phucvisited a vegetable and fruit processing line of the An Giang Fruit-Vegetables& Foodstuff Joint Stock Company in Chau Phu distict.-VNA