Sharing at the workshop on Building a national brand for Vietnamese rice held on the afternoon of December 10 in Soc Trang province, Mr. Vuong Quoc Nam - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Soc Trang province - said that the province has the 5th largest rice growing area in the Mekong Delta region with a cultivated area of over 140,000 hectares. The production structure is specialized in 2-3 crops/year, the annual cultivated area is over 330,000 hectares, and the output is over 2.1 million tons.
Mr. Nam said that in recent years, the locality has had a policy of promoting the restructuring of agricultural production towards increasing added value and adapting to climate change. The rice industry is identified as one of the province's key products. In particular, the rice industry has gradually improved in quality and economic efficiency, increasing income for rice farmers.
"The highlight is that the proportion of specialty rice and high-quality rice accounts for over 54%. Particularly, ST24 and ST25 rice varieties account for over 18% and are ranked as "World's Best Rice" through international competitions," Mr. Nam cited.
The leader of the People's Committee of Soc Trang province informed that in 2024, the economic growth rate will reach 7.07%, with export turnover of about 1.8 billion USD. Of which, the rice export output will be over 1.2 million tons, the rice export value will reach 789 million USD, an increase of 92% compared to 2023.
Currently, many countries in the region with advantages in rice are gradually reopening after a period of export restrictions. Consumers are not only interested in delicious, nutritious, and safe rice products, but also require environmentally friendly rice production. This shows that Vietnam's rice industry is facing both challenges and opportunities. According to Mr. Nam, the birth of the Project on Sustainable Development of 1 million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030 is a new turning point, a foundation paving the way for the development of Vietnam's rice industry in a new period.
