Việt Nam, China look to increase rice trade co-operation

AN GIANG — A conference to boost rice trade co-operation between Việt Nam and China was held in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on Thursday.

A paddy field in the Mekong Delta. — VNA/VNS Photo

China was one of the biggest rice producers and rice import markets in the world, according to Phan Lợi, deputy director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade.

An Giang exported over 400,000 tonnes of rice annually, he said, adding the province was leading the country in building large-scale paddy fields and material areas.

It was able to meet the import criteria of other countries, including China, he said.

With the assistance of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the opportunity for An Giang rice to penetrate into the Chinese market is absolutely feasible.

The locality has big ambitions to export more rice to China and aims to ship more products besides rice to the market.

Liu Ying, vice chairman of Shanxi province’s food association and head of the Chinese business delegation, expressed high regard for the quality and price of rice in the Mekong Delta.

He advised Vietnamese exporters to follow China’s regulations on quarantine and design, and participate more in brand promotions as China had limited imports through unofficial channels while imposing stricter requirements for imports.

China’s modern population was increasingly busy with little time to travel to markets to buy rice. Vietnamese businesses should pay attention to the production of suitably weighted rice bags for sale online to serve this segment, he recommended.

Trần Quốc Toản, deputy head of the Department of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said businesses participating in the conference were potential customers from the Shanxi food association.

These firms had been allowed by the Chinese Government to import 180,000 tonnes of rice, accounting for about 10 percent of Việt Nam’s total rice exports to China.

The event also created an opportunity for Chinese rice importers to study Việt Nam’s rice production development plans and orientations to seek co-operation contracts with Vietnamese partners.

On this occasion, the An Giang Department of Industry and Trade and the Shanxi food association signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral trade cooperation.

Two local businesses also inked five MoUs on trade co-operation with Chinese firms.