Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on February 1 signed a decision regarding the allocation of rice from the national reserve to localities for the 2024 Lunar New Year festival and the between-crop period.

He assigned the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to distribute a total of 431.9 tonnes of rice at no cost to the provinces of Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Kon Tum.

Ha Giang will receive 253.62 tonnes, Bac Kan - 31,605 tonnes, and Kon Tum - 76.86 tonnes for distribution to locals during Tet. An additional 69.87 tonnes will be given to residents of Kon Tum for the between-crop period.

The authorities of Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Kon Tum are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of reporting data and delivering the timely rice aid to eligible recipients in line with regulations.

The authorities of Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Kon Tum are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of reporting data and delivering the timely rice aid to eligible recipients in line with regulations.

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Seventeen provinces across the country will be provided with nearly 15,500 tonnes of rice to allocate for local residents during the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and the between-crop period in early 2024, said Deputy Director of the General Department of State Reserves (GDSR) Nguyen Thi Pho Giang at a press conference held on January 22.

The volume includes 12,876 tonnes of rice for 17 provinces during Tet and 2,618 tonnes of rice for five provinces, namely Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Quang Binh, Dak Lak and Dak Nong, during the between-crop period.

As of January 18, over 3,545 tonnes of rice were handed over to Soc Trang province, the GDSR said, adding that the rice inventory is enough for localities in unexpected and urgent situations and during Tet.

The GDSR is developing a plan to purchase 240,000 tonnes of rice for State reserves in 2024. After receiving approval from the Prime Minister, it will direct units to implement the plan, ensuring enough resources to carry out tasks in line with the objectives prescribed in the Law on National Reserve, as well as proactively and effectively respond to every unexpected and urgent circumstances and prevent food shortages during between-crop periods, natural disasters and epidemics.

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To firmly ensure national food security in all situations, while promoting the potential and advantages in rice production and avoiding the situation of speculating and taking illegal profits, the Government leader asked ministers, heads of ministry-level agencies, chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities, the President of the Vietnam Food Association and rice exporters to take more drastic measures.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was requested to coordinate with the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in directing localities to review planning orientations of large-scale and high-quality rice production areas to ensure the target output of over 43 million tonnes of paddy a year in the following years.

It is necessary to keep a close watch on developments in the regional and global rice markets, production situation, rice output of each variety and season in the year to balance the source of rice to serve domestic demand and exports; and at the same time, promote negotiations, and remove technical barriers to expand Vietnam's rice export markets; and promptly guide localities, businesses and farmers to strictly comply with regulations of Vietnam and importing countries.

The Minister of Industry and Trade should coordinate with the heads of relevant agencies in implementing programmes and activities to promote Vietnamese rice products and brands, making the most of incentives offered by signed free trade agreements (FTAs) in order to diversify and occupy new and potential markets and improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's rice industry.

The Prime Minister also requested the Minister of Finance and the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam to proactively and promptly direct the implementation of price stabilisation and support measures for rice producers, exporters and traders in accordance with laws.

Attention should be paid to calculating and balancing the appropriate and effective rice reserves so as to ensure no one lack food when disasters or epidemics occur.

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