Can Tho (VNA) – Rice producers in the Mekong Delta are benefiting from increaseD links with companies that supply food for restaurants and hotels, according to speakers at a seminar to promote Vietnamese rice held in Can Tho on Friday.
Chairwoman of the High Quality Vietnamese Goods Club, Vu Kim Hanh, said the seminar, whose theme was Rice – from the Paddy Field to the Dining Table, was held to discuss ways of making locally grown rice more competitive.
Dr. Vo Thi Thanh Loc of the Mekong Institute for Rice Research said the Mekong Delta represented 12 percent of the country’s area and 31.6 percent of Viet Nam’s arable land.
It provides nearly 20 million tonnes of rice per year, accounting for over 51 percent of the country’s rice production, she said.
The Delta also contributes 4.5 million tonnes of rice for export, or 80 to 90 percent to the country’s exported rice.
However, Loc said, most farmers were leading a hand-to-mouth existence because of high production costs.
With paddy priced at 2,300 to 2,400 VND per kg in 2006, farmers earned 4.5 million VND (300 USD) to 7.5 million VND per ha for the winter crop, the most profitable crop of the year.
With cost deducted, they earned a net profit of 1.5 million VND to 4.5 million VND per ha.
To ensure higher profits for rice growers, Loc said closer links between farmers, traders, processors, retailers and customers should be established to minimize production costs.-Enditem
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