During a Hanoi meeting with leaders of ministries, departments, localities in the Mekong Delta and major food companies, PM Phuc asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to ensure food security and more effective food export.

The MoF was assigned to purchase rice for national reserves while the General Department of Customs must create favourable conditions for the export of the grain.

Meanwhile, the MoIT was required to coordinate with the MoF and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on rice harvest, consumption and export.

The MoIT and localities must ask rice exporters to seriously follow the Government’s Decree 107 on the maintenance of the minimum rice circulation reserve and sign a deal with at least one supermarket to supply the grain when requested.

It must amend and supplement Decree 107, including paying attention to the role of the People’s Committees of major rice production localities, especially those in the Mekong Delta and the Red River Delta.

According to the MoIT, the country is projected to have 43.5 million tonnes of rice this year, nearly 30 million tonnes of which is expected to be used for domestic consumption, and the rest for export.