HANOI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed to resume the country's rice export, which has been called for a suspension earlier in March, Vietnam News Agency reported Wednesday.
The ministry suggested that the country export 800,000 tonnes of rice in April and May and set a monthly quota for rice export in the COVID-19 outbreak in a report submitted to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the news agency reported.
The report was made by the ministry after it received feedback from a number of enterprises regarding the government's decision on March 24 of suspending rice export to "ensure food security amid the COVID-19 outbreak," according to the news agency.
The ministry said in the report that Vietnam would see an estimated paddy production of 43.5 million tonnes this year against the backdrop of COVID-19 outbreak and adverse weather conditions, while the Mekong Delta is estimated to produce 10.8 million tonnes, the news agency reported.
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development forecasts that the country's domestic paddy demand in 2020 will reach nearly 30 million tonnes, according to the news agency.
Among the total demand, the domestic consumption of paddy will be 14.26 million tonnes, while demands for food product processing, livestock sector supply, seed use and national reserves will be 7.5 million tonnes, 3.4 million tonnes, 1 million tonnes and 3.8 million tonnes respectively, the news agency reported, adding that the remaining paddy for export will be about 13.5 million tonnes, equivalent to 6.5 to 6.7 million tonnes of rice.
The news agency cited the Vietnam Food Association as saying that its member enterprises had around 1.65 million tonnes of rice in stock as of late March.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a meeting on Tuesday that the country's rice export is "necessary" yet should be controlled under the current situation to ensure its food security, according to a Vietnam News Agency report.
