WORDS ON THE STREET 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Economy / Trade - Service
Vietnam ships first batch of rice in 2021
Ngoc Mai 16:51, 2021/01/13
This special shipment will be delivered to Malaysia and Singapore, those among Vietnam’s top 10 rice buyers.

The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) today [January 13] held a ceremony marking the export of Vietnam’s first batch of rice in 2021 at Trung An Hi-tech Farming Company, located in the southern city of Can Tho.

 Overview of the ceremony. 

This special shipment with volume of 1,600 tons will be delivered to Malaysia and Singapore, those among Vietnam’s top 10 rice buyers.

Deputy Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh said the event marks an important milestone as Vietnam has just recently signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on November 15, 2020, consisting of 10 ASEAN members and five countries having a free trade deal with the bloc (China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand).

“Over the years, Vietnam has been pushing for a comprehensive global economic integration, which have resulted in the signing of 15 free trade agreements, and two under negotiation,” noted Mr. Doanh. 

“Among those, the commitment for tariff reduction in the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and RCEP are of the highest level among next-generation trade deals that Vietnam is a part of,” he said.

According to Mr. Doanh, the signing of these trade deals will provide opportunities for Vietnam’s agricultural products, including rice, to further penetrate international markets.

To ensure the realization of Vietnam’s commitments in FTAs, the MARD has revised a number of legal documents to ensure their compatibility with international practice, including in agricultural trade.

Mr. Doanh referred to Decree No.103/2020/ND-CP dated September 4, 2020 on certification of fragrant rice varieties exported to the EU, or Vietnam’s standards for white rice, fragrant rice and glutinous rice.

“The MARD fully supports enterprises and provinces/cities in forming production chains to ensure safe and high-quality products,” he added, requesting local firms to continue focusing on organic farm produce with high economic value and environmental-friendly.

“There should be a higher level of processing to create greater added value and grasp opportunities from preferential treatment in FTAs for agricultural products,” Mr. Doanh concluded.

General Director of Trung An Hi-tech Farming Pham Thai Binh said many local rice producers have recently signed major contracts with not only their traditional partners in Asia, but also in Europe.

“This is a welcome news and signal a good year for Vietnam’s rice exports,” Mr. Binh suggested.

Secretary General of Vietnam Food Association (VFA) Nguyen Trung Kien said despite a lower export volume, 2020 marked a successful year for Vietnamese rice with a surge in value, showcasing the rise of Vietnamese rice on the global stage.

In 2020, Vietnam exported 6.15 million tons of rice worth US$3 billion, down 3.5% year-on-year in volume but up 9.3% in value.

RELATED NEWS
TAG: Vietnam rice exports VFTA food Malaysia Singapore EVFTA RCEP
Other news
15:52, 2025/02/12
Vietnam's exports at risks as US tariffs loom
The shadow of tariffs hangs over Vietnam’s trade outlook.
13:40, 2025/02/11
Vietnamese Gov’t plans to revise up 2025 GDP growth target to over 8%
The revision of this year's GDP target will help lay the foundation for double-digit growth from 2026, propelling the country into a prosperous development phase.
13:50, 2025/02/10
Number of green buildings in Vietnam doubles in 2024
Vietnam now has a cumulative total of 559 green-certified buildings. This figure far exceeds the original targets set for green buildings—80 by 2025 and 160 by 2030.
20:15, 2025/02/05
Vietnam prepares for potential global trade wars: PM
If such a situation arises, it could disrupt supply chains and shrink Vietnam’s export markets.
15:24, 2025/01/29
Hanoi retail outlets open to keep prices stable during Tet
Prices in Hanoi's supermarkets remain stable on the first day of Tet compared to pre-Tet levels.
05:56, 2025/01/27
Vietnam ensures power and fuel supply during Tet
Fuel supplies have been secured in advance, while the electricity sector has committed to avoiding power outages or service interruptions during Tet.