Pilot project for high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation in Can Tho city - Photo: CHI QUOC
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has also drafted a submission to the Prime Minister regarding the establishment of a council and is seeking feedback from ministries, localities, associations, and businesses.
According to Tuoi Tre newspaper , there are many opinions expressing a desire to establish a National Rice Council, along with solutions to overcome the lack of coordination in order to build a reputable and high-value Vietnamese rice brand in the market.
There are still many issues that need adjustment.
Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien noted that our rice production industry still lacks a strategy, or in other words, a stable and solid development policy, because we still have a spontaneous nature at the local level, among producers, and even within individual export businesses.
Furthermore, state investment in rice production and non-state investment in the rice export and export business have not been adequate, especially investment in seeds, science and technology, production processes, and processing...
Another point is that many export businesses lack professionalism, engage in unhealthy competition, or fail to make efforts to maintain and develop markets to strengthen their brands. If there were a National Rice Council, we could use its mechanisms and regulations to review and address these issues.
"We often talk about large rice exports and bumper harvests, but farmers' incomes remain low. This shows that it's time for us to think about and establish a National Rice Council to advise the Government and relevant authorities on strong and feasible mechanisms and policies. Only then can we help Vietnamese rice build a brand and increase its value in the global market," Mr. Dien shared about the idea of establishing the council.
Rice harvest in Hau Giang province - Photo: CHI QUOC
A database is needed immediately.
Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Dr. Nguyen Van Hoi, director of the Institute for Strategic Research and Policy in Industry and Trade, said that rice is a commodity with unique characteristics compared to many other sectors, and in the idea of establishing the association, the two ministries have fully stated the reasons for its necessity.
However, according to Mr. Hoi, for the council to operate effectively, its regulations, operational organization, and the responsibilities and powers of its members must be clearly defined. In particular, the council and its members should be given maximum authority, based on compliance with legal regulations and international commitments.
Council members will optimally utilize legal regulations to exercise "self-determination" in certain cases, especially in urgent or unforeseen situations. At the same time, the operating regulations should promote the most effective coordination and proactive participation of members, thereby increasing unity in direction and coordination in activities.
Regarding the priorities for implementation immediately after the council's establishment, Mr. Hoi said that in order to manage rice production and business activities uniformly, the council needs to build a common database for the industry.
This database must be compiled from various ministries, departments, and localities, covering all stages from production, processing, distribution, and business (domestic consumption and export).
In addition, data from rice-producing and exporting countries, competitors, and global rice market information are used to provide a basis for more realistic and effective market management.
In the long term, it is necessary to reassess Vietnam's rice industry development strategy, aiming towards building a rice strategy based on a value chain, sustainable production, adaptation to climate change, emission reduction, and focusing on producing high-quality products with an emphasis on brand building.
Leaders of the An Giang province's agricultural sector affirmed that the establishment of the National Rice Council is an important condition for promptly resolving bottlenecks for businesses and farmers - Photo: BUU DAU
Establish standing committees for each specialized field.
Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh believes that the establishment of the National Rice Council is absolutely correct at this time, not only to solve immediate problems but also to address longer-term issues.
"Having a National Rice Council will help us analyze, evaluate, process information, and make unified, focused decisions. Otherwise, we would have to seek opinions from various ministries, localities, associations, etc., which involves many procedures and may not lead to a consensus," Mr. Doanh said.
According to Mr. Doanh, establishing such councils is not a new issue; other countries already have them, for example, Thailand has a national rice council, Indonesia has a palm oil council, and Brazil has a coffee council... These national councils operate very effectively.
In terms of organization and operation, Mr. Doanh believes that the council's standing committee will be the most important group. This group receives information from businesses and farmers to propose solutions. Therefore, the council's standing committee needs to be divided into teams according to specialized fields, for example, a team specializing in production, a team specializing in exports, a team specializing in markets, etc.
Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), Nguyen Ngoc Nam, suggested that more attention should be paid to rice imports because in recent years we have imported a relatively large amount of rice (mainly for processing).
Importing rice for domestic processing and producing rice domestically for export is highly effective, but in the long term, if a National Rice Council is established, research and calculations are needed to manage rice imports.
We need to learn from the experiences of Thailand and Japan.
Professor Vo Tong Xuan said he was very pleased with the proposal to establish a National Rice Council. "I hope the two ministries will study Thailand's approach in recent years to develop a transparent and effective strategy, mechanism, and policy to ensure stability and market development for Vietnam's rice industry in the future," Professor Xuan said.
Accordingly, in Thailand, the Rice Policy and Management Council and several key associations and organizations are involved in this field. Among them, the Thai Rice Exporters Association plays a crucial role in managing and promoting rice exports, supporting exporters, and representing their interests in both domestic and international markets. The Thai Rice Milling Association focuses on the interests of rice millers in Thailand, addressing issues related to domestic rice production, processing, and distribution.
The Thai Rice Farmers Association provides a platform to address farmers' concerns and promote sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring farmers' welfare and development. The Thai Rice Business Association works to stabilize rice prices and ensure a stable supply chain from production to retail.
Furthermore, Thailand also has numerous local cooperatives and farmers' organizations that play a crucial role in the rice supply chain, helping to reduce transaction costs and market uncertainty for farmers, and collaborating with national associations to enhance the overall efficiency and sustainability of the rice industry in Thailand.
In Japan, a country with a long tradition of consuming a large amount of rice, they take the enhancement of rice value very seriously, primarily by building a rice brand that prioritizes quality over quantity. Compared to products from many other countries, Japanese rice typically commands a higher price in both domestic and international markets and enjoys strong brand recognition.
Japanese rice brands also benefit significantly from efforts to promote traditional culture through dishes such as sushi, onigiri (rice balls), mochi (rice cakes), etc. These specialties are often presented as only truly delicious and authentic when made with Japanese rice.
To maintain these advantages, Japan is very strict in ensuring product quality.
Every year, the Japan Grain Inspection Association (JGIA) evaluates the rice varieties being cultivated in the country, ranks their quality, and publicly releases the results. Ensuring the quality of rice varieties itself is a significant investment. Research and breeding of rice varieties are conducted regularly with a very thorough screening process.
Furthermore, the evaluation was conducted directly through months of direct tasting. Throughout this process, researchers were only allowed to eat white rice and drink green tea to ensure the most objective assessment of the samples.
Expectations are high for resolving credit bottlenecks and implementing timely policies.
Mr. Dinh Thua Tu, residing in Vinh Khanh commune, Thoai Son district, An Giang province, believes that currently, farmers only know how to produce high-quality rice, while the market for their products is almost completely neglected.
"In my opinion, a National Rice Council should be established to determine what constitutes a fair rice price and which businesses should purchase it, to avoid situations where farmers are exploited due to low prices. I think everyone wants a National Rice Council, or one established in each province or region, to have more specific pricing guidelines, in addition to providing support and warnings on various production-related issues," Mr. Tu said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tran Van Cung, chairman of the An Giang Provincial Cooperative Union, stated his view: the main task of the council is to guide the market and limit regulations and sanctions against businesses engaging in unfair competition. However, it is necessary to avoid overlapping with the role of the VFA.
Mr. Tran Thanh Hiep, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang province, said that the draft regulations of the National Rice Council clearly state the roles of the Government, ministries, and localities. Based on this, localities will have a voice in their areas, and businesses participating in the linkage will have a voice in accessing loans.
"The voice of the National Rice Council will be stronger, and associations will immediately join forces, eliminating ambiguity in the roles of the associations," Mr. Hiep added.
Dr. Tran Huu Hiep observes that, overall, the rice industry has been fragmented into many segments over the years, with buy-and-sell transactions resulting in losses for some.
In this context, the proposal to establish a National Rice Council may not be the optimal solution, but it would be better to enhance coordination, consultation, and prevent fragmentation in decision-making for this important and humane economic sector.
Given the fluctuations in world market prices and concerns about food security instability, it is essential that we ensure a rice-based economy that meets three criteria: guaranteeing domestic food security; harmonizing the economic interests and livelihoods of the people, and ensuring social harmony; and avoiding creating inequality in people's access to food and protecting the legitimate interests of rice farmers.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lap-hoi-dong-lua-gao-quoc-gia-lien-ket-de-tang-gia-tri-thuong-hieu-gao-viet-20240809075433947.htm
