Can Tho (VNA) – A workshop introducing advanced post-harvඣest rice technologies was held by the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute (CLRRI) and Sontag Consult in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 8.

During the workshop, attendees discussed the current condition of rice preservation and processing in Vietnam and factors that could increase rice quality and export values. A number of technological solutions and advanced equipment for effective preservation, storage and processing of rice were also introduced; such as, rice cleaning, drying and milling technologies, technologies for parboiled rice production, and eco-friendly rice husk burning stoves. According to CLRRI Director Prof. Nguyen Hong Son, the Mekong Delta is the country’s rice farming hub where more than 90 percent of rice for export is produced. Last year, the region exported over six million tonnes of rice. Despite that, the rice export values have remained lower than those of other countries in the region, due to not only a lack of high-quality varieties but also outdated post-harvest handling, he said. Prof. Pham Van Tan from the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-harvest Technology noted that out-of-date handling techniques have increased post-harvest losses of rice in the Mekong Delta to about 13.7 percent, which equates to more than 781 million USD per year. Poor preservation has also reduced rice export value, he added, urging the need for the delta to apply advanced technology in rice post-harvest handling.-VNA