Public private partnership task force on rice established

Participants in the conference pose for a group photo. (Photo: VNA)

Can Tho (VNA) – The Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development announced a decision to set up the public-private partnership(PPP) task force on rice and discussed an action plan for 2023 at a recent conference held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Under the decision issued on June 23 last year, theestablishment aims to improve the quality and sustainability of the sector by tapping available efforts of diverse actors in the value chain. The task force is expected to attract investment and strengthen themodernisation of the local agriculture and food systems through the applicationof technology and innovation connectivity.

At the event, Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the NationalAgricultural Extension Centre (NAEC), stated the task force is committed to transformingthe sector’s competition focus from prices to quality, nutrition andsustainability.

Harvesting rice in Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

It will work to gradually form an integrated multi-valueagriculture associated with tourism development via strengthening productionlinkages with farmers, the ability to meet market requirements and access retail distribution channels in different markets, he added.

Vietnam's rice sector has so far ensured food security and created jobs and income for 9.3 million households in rural areas, making it adecisive factor in hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

The nation currently ships rice products to more than 150 countries andterritories, accounting for more than 15% of the world’s total rice exports./.

VNA