Western region rice prices are falling: Businesses and farmers together overcoming difficulties

Rice prices are falling, farmers are worried... The Philippines has temporarily suspended the import of Vietnamese rice for 60 days from September 1st for the suspension of imports of regular milled rice and high-quality milled rice, except for rare domestic rice varieties, which immediately affected households harvesting at the end of the Fall-Winter crop. In An Giang, Mr. Nguyễn Đình Hương (Cô Tô commune), who is cultivating 5 hectares of OM18 rice, said that agricultural input costs have risen sharply, from fertilizers to plant protection chemicals, while rice prices have fallen to a worryingly low level. "Rice prices must be above 6,000 VND/kg for farmers to have a bit of profit," Mr. Hương said. In Đồng Tháp, Mr. Huỳnh Thiện Liêm, a member of Trường Phát Cooperative, said that with the current OM18 rice harvest price, rice growers only hope to "break even" if they cultivate on their own land; renting land is almost certain to result in a loss. Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hùng, Director of ...