Vietnam to host international rice congress

History’s largest international gathering of rice experts will meet in Vietnam next month to explore strategies that will help farmers feed the world’s growing population.

The third International Rice Congress will bring together international leaders in rice science, rice policy makers, rice traders, and others across the industry’s private and public sectors.

The event is being jointly organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the International Rice Research Institute and Bangkok-based Asia Congress Events Co.

Due to mounting pressure on global food production, exaggerated by poverty and climate change, the need to find ways to ensure an affordable and abundant rice population is becoming critical.

Delegates will discuss the latest rice research, future technologies, trade issues, and policies that will define the future role of rice in supporting poor rice-dependent communities.

More than half of the world’s population, or more than three billion people, depend on rice as their main food source, including around 640 million Asians living in extreme poverty.

“Rice producers will play a more and more crucial role in preventing future food shortages,” said Dr. To Phuc Tuong, chairman of the congress.

Vietnam, the world’s second-biggest rice exporter after Thailand and the fifth-largest producer of rice, exported 5.4 million tons of rice, worth US$2.3 billion, in the first seven months of 2010, up around 8.51 percent in quantity and 12.9 percent in terms of value.

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Vietnam to host international rice congress

History’s largest international gathering of rice experts will meet in Vietnam next month to explore strategies that will help farmers feed the world’s growing population.

The third International Rice Congress will bring together international leaders in rice science, rice policy makers, rice traders, and others across the industry’s private and public sectors.

The event is being jointly organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the International Rice Research Institute and Bangkok-based Asia Congress Events Co.

Due to mounting pressure on global food production, exaggerated by poverty and climate change, the need to find ways to ensure an affordable and abundant rice population is becoming critical.

Delegates will discuss the latest rice research, future technologies, trade issues, and policies that will define the future role of rice in supporting poor rice-dependent communities.

More than half of the world’s population, or more than three billion people, depend on rice as their main food source, including around 640 million Asians living in extreme poverty.

“Rice producers will play a more and more crucial role in preventing future food shortages,” said Dr. To Phuc Tuong, chairman of the congress.

Vietnam, the world’s second-biggest rice exporter after Thailand and the fifth-largest producer of rice, exported 5.4 million tons of rice, worth US$2.3 billion, in the first seven months of 2010, up around 8.51 percent in quantity and 12.9 percent in terms of value.

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Vietnamese Rice Promoted Through Arts

Cherishing a dream of promoting the image of Vietnamese rice, three youths in their 20s have managed to collect over VND60 million to open a workshop making pictures from rice grains

Would the rice fall off pictures that have been kept for a long time? Would pictures made of rice be invaded by pests? What is the duration of rice paintings? A series of similar questions were raised by guests coming to view Thai Hoang rice pictures at the Vietnam-Binh Duong Ceramic Festival held in Binh Duong Province’s Thu Dau Mot Town last September.

According to 23-year-old Nguyen Thai Hau, one of the three founders of ThaiHoang Rice Picture in Bien Hoa City, there are eight steps involved in crafting a rice picture. First, select material – uncooked, even and fine rice grains that would not break or burst when being roasted. Next, color the rice by roasting it in a frying pan. Then draw a sketch, place the rice onto it piece by piece, glue the rice to ensure it remains stuck to the picture and allow it to dry in the sun for three days. The last step is chemical treatment for rice preservation before framing the picture.
“It normally takes two to seven days, or sometimes even a whole month to complete a rice picture, depending on its size. Currently, the smallest picture we can make is 20 square centimeters in size,” Hau said.

Hoang Minh Thai, the founder of Thai Hoang Rice Picture, born in 1986, made a graduation thesis at Dong Nai Arts College two years ago. He did not want to use natural materials like tree barks, soil and rattan for his artwork like what previous generations of students did. So he thought of using rice as a medium to create paintings as rice embodies Vietnam, a country with rich paddy fields. And he was not the first in the country to come up with this idea.

After graduation in 2009, Thai has collaborated with Hau and Nguyen Quoc Hung (born in 1984) to establish the rice painting facility with an initial capital of slightly over VND60 million. Thai is in charge of product design; Hau supervises production and looks for ways to extend the painting duration; and Hung oversees accounting and trading.

At the beginning, market access was difficult for the new product that was monotonous in theme and limited in colors. “Feedback from customers shows certain problems like grains falling off paintings after some period of time or due to movements while being transported; or moisture penetrating paintings while being framed in glass”, Hau said.

Aware of their product’s shortcomings, the trio sought to improve production techniques, use better quality glues and widen the color variety to 17 different hues. From the three base colors, white, yellow and brown, they found a formula to roast rice in a way to get more color tones. Not only did they succeed in enriching their color palette, Thai Hoang was also able to develop art themes to five, including landscape, calligraphy, arts, animals and portraits.

Hau considers portraits to be the hardest to create, demanding artisans’ attention to details, patience and persistence in creating contrasting hues. That’s why the price of this kind of paintings is higher than other products. A 60cm x 80cm painting costs VND1.5 million while a portrait of the same size is priced at VND2.2-2.5 million.

According to the three founders, while their crafting technique has been improved, business relationship establishment and product promotion still remain areas of great concern. Apart from the retail sales at their facility in Bien Hoa City and participation in trade fairs, Thai Hoang fulfills orders from a number of businesses and shops in HCM City.

Thai Hoang’s current goal is to develop a website soon to introduce their products and trademark, and ultimately realize their dream of bringing the image of Vietnam’s rice to the world.

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Rice exports up in both quantity and value

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) expects a boost in earnings from rice exports as world demand and prices surge.

VFA President Truong Thanh Phong said rice exporters have so far this
year earned 2.56 billion USD from exporting over 5.5 million tonnes of
rice, representing an increase of over 14 percent in value and almost 12
percent in quantity over the previous year.

Vietnam
is among a few major rice exporters to enjoy such a rosy situation,
with Thailand , India and Pakistan suffering a decrease in rice
exports.

Abnormal climatic conditions caused bad
harvests in many countries. Indonesia , for example, had to drop its
plan to export rice and was forced to import food instead due to bad
harvests. In September alone, the Islamic country imported 300,000
tonnes of rice from Vietnam and 200,000 tonnes from Thailand .

Rice reserves in Africa are depleting, pushing the continent towards
importing rice. Poor harvests in many republics of the former Soviet
Union have inflated world wheat prices and shifted some demand from
wheat to rice, causing more pressure on world rice prices, said
economists.

FOB prices for Vietnamese rice averaged
422.67 USD per tonne in the first nine months of the year, up by 16.43
USD year on year

Rice exporters have signed contracts
of 6.8 million tonnes against 6.5-6.6 million tonnes previously planned
for the whole year.

Enterprises are expected to sign
contracts for the export of an additional 3 million tonnes of rice and
ship another 2 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of the year.

As a result, Vietnam is likely to export between 7.2 and 7.5
million tonnes of rice this year, breaking its record of 6 million
tonnes in 2009./.

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3.8 million ha reserved for growing rice

Vietnam will keep 3.8 million ha to grow rice to ensure national
food security, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Bui Ba Bong on October 6.

Bong chaired a meeting to
review a master plan for the country’s rice cultivation by 2020 with a
vision towards 2030, to maintain the necessary acreage for the country’s
most important crop, as Vietnam is the world’s second largest rice
exporter.

The report delivered at the meeting warned
that the total acreage available for rice cultivation mapped out by
provinces and cities nationwide for 2020 and towards 2030 is only 3.68
million ha, down by 408,800 ha compared with 2009 and 120,000 ha less
than the target.

The Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
agreed to re-adjust the planning of 33 provinces and cities, mostly in
the country’s two major rice bowls, the Red River Delta and the Mekong
Delta.

The report also put forward solutions to
manage and use the land fund, including State investment in rice growing
areas to improve productivity, issue encouraging policies for
localities to retain their current rice acreage and set up a price
stabilisation fund to ensure a 30 percent profit for rice growers.

According to the Vietnam Food Association, Vietnam is likely to export 7.2 million tonnes of rice this year.

In the first nine months of this year, the country shipped a record
5.55 million tonnes of rice, worth 2.56 billion USD, up nearly 12
percent in volume and 14.5 percent in value./.

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Philippines remains Vietnam’s largest rice importer

The Philippines remains Vietnam ’s largest rice importer which
accounts for nearly 41 percent of the country’s total export value,
according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

In the first nine months of this year, Vietnam
shipped a record 5.55 million tonnes of rice worth 2.56 billion USD, up
nearly 12 percent in volume and 14.5 percent in value.

The price of Vietnamese rice in the first eight months reached 470
USD per tonne, up 3 percent over the same period last year. The price
hike was attributable to scanty supplies resulting from consecutive
natural disasters in large rice consumers and exporters such as China ,
Thailand and Pakistan .

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) forecast that Vietnam is likely to export 7.2 million tonnes of rice this year.

According to the MARD’s Cultivation Department, the country’s total
rice output in 2010 is expected to exceed 39 million tonnes. Of which,
around 1.5 million tonnes of rice will be reserved for exports.

At present, it is necessary to encourage rice exports as the domestic rice supplies are abundant, the department said./.

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Rice prices in Mekong Delta rise sharply

Continuous increases in the prices of rice in the Mekong Delta over the past time have excited local farmers as they have driven up farmers’ profits to 30 percent of their production costs.

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said in many cities and provinces in the country’s granary, the prices of fresh and dry rice jumped by 25-35 percent compared to late June and early July.

According to Cao Van Ut in Tien Giang province’s Cai Lay district, with the current prices, farmers can get a net profit of VND15-16 million from each hectare of rice.

Experts attributed the high rice prices to foreign countries’ increasing demands for importing Vietnamese rice.

Businesses are expected to export between 700,000 and 800,000 tons of rice in September, equal to the volume of August, said VFA Vice Chairman Pham Van Bay.

In Vietnam , rice remains the biggest hard currency earner in the group of agricultural products. In the first seven months of this year, the average rice price reached some US$485 per tonne, representing a year-on-year rise of 4.8 percent.

High export rice prices raised the country’s rice export turnover in the first eight months to $2.4 billion, up 12.8 percent over the same period last year.

In the period, the country shipped over 5 million tonnes of rice, up 8.2 percent year-on-year.

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Rice prices in Mekong Delta rise sharply

Continuous increases in the prices of rice in the Mekong Delta over the
past time have excited local farmers as they have driven up farmers’
profits to 30 percent of their production costs.

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA) said in many cities and provinces in
the country’s granary, the prices of fresh and dry rice jumped by 25-35
percent compared to late June and early July.

According to Cao Van Ut in Tien Giang province’s Cai Lay district, with
the current prices, farmers can get a net profit of 15-16 million VND
from each hectare of rice.

Experts attributed the high rice prices to foreign countries’ increasing demands for importing Vietnamese rice.

Businesses are expected to export between 700,000 and 800,000 tonnes
of rice in September, equal to the volume of August, said VFA Vice
Chairman Pham Van Bay.

In Vietnam , rice
remains the biggest hard currency earner in the group of agricultural
products. In the first seven months of this year, the average rice price
reached some 485 USD per tonne, representing a year-on-year rise of 4.8
percent.

High export rice prices raised the
country’s rice export turnover in the first eight months to 2.4 billion
USD, up 12.8 percent over the same period last year.

In the period, the country shipped over 5 million tonnes of rice, up 8.2 percent year-on-year./.

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Trade ministry: Rice still ample for export this year

HCMC - Strong foreign demand has pushed up reference prices of export-standard rice by US$50 per ton, but the trade ministry confirmed there would be no rice shortage for export this year.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien, who is in charge of managing rice exports, told the Daily after a review meeting on Tuesday on exports in the last four months that there is still one million tons of rice in stock. Furthermore, the commercial rice volume will increase in the upcoming harvest, he said.

“In the coming harvest, the country expects to have an additional 3.5 million tons of rice, including 1.5 million tons of commercial rice. We will weigh the situation to decide the amount for export till the end of this year,” Bien said.

However, Bien declined to comment on some predictions that the rice export volume this year could jump to a record high of seven million tons despite the ample inventory. In June, the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) suggested to raise the export target by half a million tons to 6.5 million tons of rice.

Pham Van Bay, vice chair of the association, said the total export in July and August has increased considerably from the same period last year. He estimated that export in September will be steady at between 700,000 and 800,000 tons.

The total rice export in the January-August period amounted to 4.8 million tons valued at more than US$ 2 billion.

Currently, rice exporters are increasing purchases from farmers owing to strong foreign demand.

In August, VFA raised the reference price three times by US$50 per ton. For the 5%-broken rice, the guiding price is at US$450, while that for 25%-broken rice is US$410 per ton. However, the number of rice exporters signing contracts at these prices is insignificant.

“The guiding price is applicable to both contracts under government-to-government agreements for major markets such as the Philippines, Iraq, and Cuba, as well as to commercial contracts,” Bay added.

Currently, all food traders are asked to observe the reference prices determined by VFA from time to time when signing contracts with foreign rice buyers.

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No restriction on rice exports this year: official

Vietnam has no intention to restrict rice exports in the remaining months of 2010, a government official said Friday.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat made the statement in response to recent speculation that Vietnam, the world’s second largest rice exporter, may put a limit on shipments of the grain on food security concerns.

The ministry said it will monitor weather conditions and other factors, making sure the country can meet both domestic and export demand for the staple.

Despite the absence of export restrictions, Phat asked local businesses to watch the market carefully and choose the right time to deliver their contracts in order to ensure profit for farmers and themselves.

According to the Vietnam Food Association, prices for the highest quality Vietnamese rice variety rose US$20 per ton from last week to reach $450. This was the third consecutive increase over the past three weeks, the association said.

Vietnam had originally planned to export 6 million tons of the grain this year. However, Nguyen Tri Ngoc, director of the Cultivation Department at the agriculture ministry, said earlier this month that the country may ship up to 7 million tons of rice this year as there was ample supply.

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Vietnam ships rice to China in ‘unofficial trade,’ group says

Traders in Vietnam, the second-biggest rice exporter, may have “unofficially” shipped about 600,000 tons to China this year across the nation’s northern border, according to the Vietnam Food Association.

Most of the shipments were made from April to July amid signs of increased demand from China, Huynh Minh Hue, general-secretary of the association, said Monday by phone. Through official channels, Vietnam has shipped less than 100,000 tons to China this year, Hue said.

China, the world’s most populous nation, consumes about 500 million tons of all grains a year, and maintains stockpiles of about 40 percent of annual demand, according to March comments from China Grain Reserves Corp. China’s rice output may fall as much as 7 percent this year after floods, Li Qiang, managing director at Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., said in August.

“It is difficult to say whether the country is short of rice or not because the country has a very big stockpile,” Vietnam Food Association’s Hue said. “These are just estimates, we don’t have exact figures for border trade,” Hue said.

Vietnam will meet a target to ship about six million tons of rice this year, said Nguyen Thanh Bien, Vietnam’s deputy minister of Industry and Trade.

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Vietnam to ship 100,000 tons of rice to Bangladesh

Vinafood 2, Vietnam’s major rice exporter, said it has signed a contract to sell 100,000 tons of medium-grade 15 percent broken rice to Bangladesh.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based company, also known as Vietnam Southern Food Corporation, will provide the grain at US$389 per ton. 

The company described the South Asian country as a burgeoning market. Bangladesh recently imported 178,000 tons of rice from Vietnam and plans to buy another 200,000 tons. Vietnam is now the most competitive rice supplier for Bangladesh, the company said.

However, it noted that some competitive Vietnamese exporters are beggining to undercut each other. The tactics have led the national food association to caution its members against predatory pricing.

Vinafood 2, the industry giant, has asked the government to give it the right to oversee the whole Bangladeshi market. If the government agrees, Vinafood 2 will have final approval over all export contracts to the country and will be responsible for assigning contracts to other exporters.

Vietnam is set to meet this year’s rice export target of 6 million tons, Nguyen Thanh Bien, deputy minister of industry and trade, said this week.

Vietnam's rice exports rank second only to Thailand. The nation has shipped more than 4 million tons, valued at around $2 billion so far this year, according to official figures.

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Ample rice supply boosts exports beyond annual target

Vietnam may ship 7 million tons of rice this year, 17 percent higher than the annual target, as there is ample supply of the grain, an agriculture official said.

The country has harvested more than 26 million tons of paddy so far this year and is set to reap another 13 million tons in the remaining months, Nguyen Tri Ngoc, director of the Cultivation Department at the agriculture ministry, told the Vietnam Economic Times Monday.

He said there would be sufficient rice for the domestic market even if  6.5-7 million tons of rice were exported this year. Local food companies have stocked around 1.4 million tons of rice, he added.

Vietnam, the world’s second largest rice exporter after Thailand, had planned to export 6 million tons of the grain this year. So far, more than 4 million tons valued at around $2 billion have been shipped, according to official figures.

Ngoc said there is no need to worry about rice supplies in Vietnam now, but the country is short on other grains used as animal feed.

Vietnam still has to import huge amounts of corn and soya bean meal, he said.

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