Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed a directive requesting greater efforts to ensure national food security and promote sustainable riceproduction and exports in the current period.

In the directive, the PM pointed out that in recent times,the global food trade situation has been developing complicatedly with riceprices tending to increase because of some countries’ export bans and reduction in theamount of rice sold, some others' growing purchases for rice reserves, the expiredBlack Sea Grain Deal, and extreme weather phenomena, natural disasters anddroughts.

In Vietnam, massive trading of rice occurs in somelocalities, causing local supply-demand imbalance, and pushing up domestic riceprices unreasonably.

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

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

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

The Minister of Industry and Trade should coordinate withthe heads of relevant agencies in implementing programmes and activities topromote Vietnamese rice products and brands, making the most of incentivesoffered by signed free trade agreements (FTAs) in order to diversify and occupynew and potential markets and improve the competitiveness of Vietnam's riceindustry.

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

Attention should be paid to calculating and balancing theappropriate and effective rice reserves so as to ensure no one lack foodwhen disasters or epidemics occur./.