Long An (VNA) – The Departmentof Industry and Trade in the Mekong Delta province of Long An has called on theMinistry of Industry and Trade to scrap all restrictions on the export ofsticky rice since it has around 56,000 tonnes of stocks.

The Government recentlyapproved the resumption of rice exports, but capped them at around 400,000tonnes for April with an eye on national food security amid the COVID-19pandemic.

Sticky rice is not a dailyconsumption item and so the ministry should not include sticky rice in the 400,000-tonnequota, the provincial Department of Industry and Trade said.

On April 12, the General Departmentof Customs began accepting online customs declarations from rice exporters, butmany of them were left disappointed since the quota of 400,000 tonnes wasreached within just three hours. Many firms with rice consignments stuck atports were unable to submit customs declaration forms.

Nguyen Quang Hoa, Director ofLong An-based Duong Vu Co. Ltd, one of the country’s largest sticky riceexporters, said his company bought over 200,000 tonnes a year and was on the vergeof bankruptcy because it was unable to export.

Currently, the company has aninventory of 30,000 tonnes, of which 13,000 tonnes were loaded into containerson March 20 and technical steps were completed for loading on ships. It hasbeen unable to submit customs declaration forms.

“If we cannot export,besides paying compensation to customers, we do not know what to do with therice,” Hoa said.

Long An has around 65,000haunder sticky rice and is the largest producer among Mekong Delta provinces,according to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade./.