Hanoi (VNA)– Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung on April 20 ordered advancing the export quota of 100,000 tonnes of rice from that set for May in order to ease difficulties for firms that have rice stuck at ports but are unable tosubmit customs declarations.

Chairing ameeting on rice export amidst the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, along with droughtand saltwater intrusion, Dung said glutinous rice can be exported as normal.

He assigned theMinistry of Industry and Trade to coordinate with the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development to review and assess the domestic supply and demand of rice to manage the export.

In the present context,rice export must be carefully considered, with national foodsecurity being taken into account in the first place, so as to reduce disruptions in the rice production chain and protect legal andlegitimate rights of farmers and relevant organisations, he said.

Dung pointed outbottlenecks in rice export management over the past time that need to beaddressed, saying the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance andconcerned agencies must bear the main responsibility for these problems.

He, therefore, askedthe two ministries to monitor businesses that have rice stuck at ports but areunable to submit customs declarations.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved theresumption of rice export, conditioned that food security must be guaranteed amidstthe COVID-19 pandemic, drought and saltwater intrusion.

On the basis of the opinions raised at the Government’s meeting on March 31, the PM agreedin principle on the rice export plan for April.

Inits report to the PM on April 6, the Ministry of Industry and Tradeproposed to continue the riceexport butthe volume must be strictly controlled on a monthly basis, firstly April and May.
The ministry suggested that about 800,000 tonnes of riceshould be allowed to be shipped abroad in April and May, down 40 percent fromthe same period last year. It proposed 400,000 tonnes of rice for export thismonth.
In the last week of April, basing on the pandemic’sdevelopments and reports by ministries and sectors, the PM will decide theshipments for May.

Accordingto the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh,Vietnam expects to ship abroad 6.5-6.7 million tonnes of rice this year. However,by the end of March, only 1.5 million tonnes were exported due to suspension.

Alsoon April 20, PM Phuc asked the Government Inspectorate to conduct inspectionsover the observance of regulations on rice export management over the pasttime. During the inspections, rice export will go on as normal./.