According to the National Reserves Development Strategy until 2020, which was approved by the Prime Minister on December 28, 2012, food storage will be equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of paddy rice in 2015.
Based on the national reserve strategy and the national reserve plans assigned by the Prime Minister annually, the General Department has fully completed the assign tasks, importing 80,000 tonnes of paddy rice and 200,000 tonnes of rice in 2019.
The food is preserved in accordance with the national technical regulations and used to assist localities during the lunar New Year and between-crop periods as well as in support people to overcome consequences of storms, droughts, crop failures and other force majeure cases.
In response to COVID-19 epidemic, the Ministry and Finance has proactively developed plans and scenario for national rice reserves.
In order to implement the Prime Minister's Decision No.05/QD-TTg on assigning national reserve targets in 2020, the GDSR has promptly implemented all procedures and assigned the regional Departments of State Reserves to purchase food, including 190,000 tonnes of rice and 80,000 tonnes of paddy, for the national reserves.
Following the direction of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance on ensuring food security in the context of Covid-19 outbreak, the GDSR asked the regional Departments of State Reserves to urgently fulfill food the import targets for 2020, ensuring response to emergencies.
The PM has assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) to work with localities and key rice export enterprises to review, inspect and evaluate the supply of rice and paddy, the situation of rice exports, the implementation of circulation reserves, and rice export orders.
