Just less than 997,000 tonnes of winter-spring rice in the Mekong Deltawere purchased and stockpiled as of April 14, accounting for 99.7percent of Vietnam’s 1 million tone target.
Combined with the additional rice bought on April 15, the lastpurchasing day, the nation’s rice scheme has basically been fulfilled,according to Vo Thanh Do, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development’s Department of Processing and Trade forAgro-Forestry-Fisheries Products and Salt Production.
The purchase has helped stabilise rice prices in the Mekong Delta -Vietnam’s biggest rice production hub, he said, elaborating that pricesof the popular variety IR50404 increased by 200-250 VND per kg, whilethose of fragrant rice rose by 300-500 VND per kg.
Although rice prices have dropped from time to time, they are still100-150 VND per kg higher than they were in the period prior to thepurchase scheme, he noted.
The purchase forstockpile, approved by the Prime Minister, was made via rice tradingenterprises under the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) from March 1 toApril 15 with the VFA and provincial People’s Committees responsible forassigning a specific quota to each trader. The enterprises alsoreceived interest subsidies for up to 4 months for bank loans taken topurchase the rice.
Official statisticsshow that as of March 18, the Mekong Delta region cultivated rice cropson 1.557 out of 1.565 million hectares of allotted plantation land. Theregion expects to harvest 940,000 hectares with a yield of 6.34 milliontonnes of rice.
The Mekong Delta comprises of 12provinces and one centrally-run city with a total area of 40,000 squarekilometres and a combined population of 18 million.-VNA
Combined with the additional rice bought on April 15, the lastpurchasing day, the nation’s rice scheme has basically been fulfilled,according to Vo Thanh Do, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development’s Department of Processing and Trade forAgro-Forestry-Fisheries Products and Salt Production.
The purchase has helped stabilise rice prices in the Mekong Delta -Vietnam’s biggest rice production hub, he said, elaborating that pricesof the popular variety IR50404 increased by 200-250 VND per kg, whilethose of fragrant rice rose by 300-500 VND per kg.
Although rice prices have dropped from time to time, they are still100-150 VND per kg higher than they were in the period prior to thepurchase scheme, he noted.
The purchase forstockpile, approved by the Prime Minister, was made via rice tradingenterprises under the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) from March 1 toApril 15 with the VFA and provincial People’s Committees responsible forassigning a specific quota to each trader. The enterprises alsoreceived interest subsidies for up to 4 months for bank loans taken topurchase the rice.
Official statisticsshow that as of March 18, the Mekong Delta region cultivated rice cropson 1.557 out of 1.565 million hectares of allotted plantation land. Theregion expects to harvest 940,000 hectares with a yield of 6.34 milliontonnes of rice.
The Mekong Delta comprises of 12provinces and one centrally-run city with a total area of 40,000 squarekilometres and a combined population of 18 million.-VNA
