product rice
vietnam / nhan dan / product / rice
Product
Vietnamese rice
As eight out of ten Vietnamese live in rural areas and make their living by growing rice, the State pay special attention to the development of agriculture, especially to rice cultivation.
Agriculture is recognised as the most important part of the socio-economic development programme for the country. Increased funding from the government to the development of agriculture is recognisable.
Despite the devastating impact from natural disasters, agricultural production in Vietnam has shown steady growth in the last 14 years, with bumper harvests recorded year-on-year. This is thanks to coherent agriculture policies and increased government funding, along with the efforts of a hardworking people and daily management from the local authorities.
Vietnam’s major breakthrough in agriculture came in 1989 when the country had a record high food output with 18.9 million tonnes of food crop equivalent to rice while the whole period of 1981-1985, it was put only at produced 17 million tonnes. For the first time in history, Vietnam exported 1.4 million tonnes of rice in 1989 whereas the country had to import 450,000 tonnes of food in 1988.
Agricultural production, especially rice production, saw a strong and fast development in the period 1990-1999. Total food output in 1990 was 19.225 million tonnes, which increased to 25.963 million tonnes in 1995 and reached 33.8 million tonnes in 1999, of which rice output occupied 31 million tonnes. Rice export was also increased from 1.6 million tonnes in 1990 to 1.9 million tonnes in 1992 to 3.7 million tonnes in 1998. Vietnam exported 4.5 million tonnes of rice in 1999. Export figures in the first months of 2000 show that the country has exported more than two million tonnes of rice. Big importers of Vietnamese rice include the Philippines, Malaysia, Iraq, Cuba and some other countries in Africa and Europe. Vietnamese rice strains such as IR64, VND95-20, UTN 625, OM1490 and ON2031 have gained popularity among buyers.
From a country often in chronic food shortage, Vietnam has become the world’s second largest rice exporter for 11 years with adequate supply for domestic consumption. Rural food supply has been ensured together with their improved living standard. The fragrance of Vietnamese rice has reached the kitchens of many countries in the world.
NGUYEN OANHBy