Preliminary statistics from the General Department of Customs show that in the first nine months of this year, Vietnam exported 1.03 million tons of rice to Indonesia, generating $625 million in revenue. Compared to the same period last year, rice exports to the "Land of a Thousand Islands" increased by 16.9% in volume and surged by 35% in value.

As a result, Indonesia continues to maintain its position as the second-largest customer of Vietnamese rice.

Notably, Indonesia ranks fourth globally in rice production and second in Southeast Asia, trailing only Thailand. However, it is also the third-largest rice consumer in the world, necessitating significant imports each year to meet domestic demand.

This year, Indonesia plans to import 3.6 million tons of rice, with Vietnam being the largest rice supplier to the country.

Recently, in addition to imports, Indonesia, along with three other Southeast Asian countries, has collaborated with Vietnam to enhance low-emission rice cultivation.

The country has a vast area dedicated to rice cultivation, producing between 75 to 90 million tons of straw annually. However, farmers frequently burn rice straw to clear fields for the next planting season, resulting in significant waste and high CO2 emissions.

In recent years, the Indonesian government has enacted laws aimed at sustainable agricultural land protection, prohibiting farmers from burning straw. Instead, farmers are required to manage this by returning the decomposed byproducts to the fields, using them as livestock feed, or for industrial and energy purposes.

Tam An