The World Bank (WB) will help the Vietnamese government to define its strategy and policies on rice in an effective and sustainable manner as well as alternative models of production and future scenarios until 2030. Steven Jaffee, the coordinator of the WB’s Rural Development Department in Vietnam made this statement at a seminar on food security held in Hanoi June 28, co-organized by the Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD) and the WB. In his speech, IPSARD’s Head Dang Kim Son said that Vietnam a plan to protect its paddy fields aiming to ensure food security in a sustainable manner for the country. Son added that with three million ha of paddy fields, Vietnam can easily ensure its own food security and have enough left over to export. However, more agricultural land is needed, so the acreage will be kept at 3.8 million ha by 2020 to provide the country with a safety net, Son noted. Vietnam is the second world largest exporter of rice after Thailand. The country produces 41 million tons-42 million tons of paddy every year and ships abroad between six and seven million tons of rice. However, the rice growing areas in the country with a population of 90 million, have narrowed sharply during past few years due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. (qdnd.vn June 29)
