Vietnam suspends rice export to ensure food security in face of COVID-19
A leading official of the General Department of Vietnam Customs just signed an urgent document sent to the provincial and municipal Departments of Customs, asking them to suspend the export of rice from the country starting from 0:00am of March 24.
Rice is packaged for export at the factory of the Song Hau Food Company in Can Tho city (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A leading official of the GeneralDepartment of Vietnam Customs just signed an urgent document sent to theprovincial and municipal Departments of Customs, asking them to suspend the exportof rice from the country starting from 0:00 am of March 24.
In the document, Deputy General Director Mai Xuan Thanh saidthis is to implement a conclusion by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at ameeting of the cabinet on ensuring food security in the context of theCOVID-19. However, those shipments with customs registration forms completedbefore the stroke of that time will go as usual.
Provincial and municipal customs department need tointensify the fight against the smuggling of the food, the document said.
On March 18, PM Phuc presided over the meeting, during whichhe stressed food security must be ensured in a really firm way under anycircumstance.
Rice is the main food for Vietnamese people, and alsothe country’s major hard currency earner. Last year, Vietnam exported 6.37million tonnes of rice, earning 2.81 billion USD, an increase of 4.1 percent involume but a decline of 8.4 percent in revenue compared to those a yearearlier./.
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Rice is packaged for export at the factory of the Song Hau Food Company in Can Tho city (Photo: VNA) 
