Wet rice civilization – The specific characteristic of Vietnam agriculture

The development process of Vietnam’s rice; the human civilization of cultivating wet rice and the future for developing Vietnam’s wet rice are all main contents of “Vietnam’s wet rice” workshop.

WET RICE CIVILIZATION – THE SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTIC OF VIETNAM AGRICULTURE

Tuyet Loan.

The ancients say: Cereals are lives of the whole people, the valuable important things of our nation.

Vietnamese people value rice. Since the day of founding a state, rice was reminded. Complete historian’s records of Great Viet (page 131) writes: in Nham Tuat year of 2879 (Before Christ). Kinh Duong king whose posthumous name is Loc Tuc is the descendant of Than Nong who teaches his posterities how to till and cultivate rice.

Glutinous rice is mentioned in legend of Banh Chung (square glutinous rice cake filled with green bean paste and fat pork), Banh Day (another kind of rice cake) in Hung dynasty. Until now, on the festival day, steamed glutinous rice with many colors is worshiped Hung king, which represents several varieties of rice.

In feudal period, there was a festival of confiscating land. On these days, kings directly go to the rice field to till and pray for a good crop in the country.

With many policies of encouraging agricultural expansion from the Party and State and the progress of agricultural science and diligence of peasants, Vietnam’s rice affirms step by step its position in the rice field. Vietnam’s rice is available on the markets of 5 continents. At present, Vietnam is still one of the top rice exporters in the world. In 2008, Vietnam achieves a record output: more than 38 million tons increasing about 2.6 million tons compared to year 2007 standing second on rice exporting market. Last winter-spring crop was a bumper crop of rice with yield of nearly 10 million tons.

Our country’s export turn-over this year may be over 1 billion USD. At present, Vietnam’s rice can be the same competitive as ThaiLan’s rice. While some countries like China, India and Pakistan are decreasing their rice export to balance their domestic need. This is a good signal for Vietnam’s rice. Vietnam’s rice has had its brand name and position on the international rice exporting market. This is not only the pride of Agricultural branch but also the pride of the country with thousands years of attaching to rice.

In order to honour Vietnam’s rice and heighten deep awareness of Vietnamese rural areas where cultivating wet rice is a career manifesting both civilization and the whole process of long modern inherited accumulated science research through diligent and creative work of Vietnameses, workshop “Vietnam’s Rice” will be organized and presided over by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the first Vietnam Rice Festival in Hau Giang.

Haranguers, invited guests and speakers will focus on 3 main contents: The development process of Vietnam rice; the human civilization of cultivating wet rice and the future for developing Vietnam’s wet rice. The scheduled time starts at 8:00 on December 01, 2009 in the hall of the people’s committee of Hau Giang province. After the workshop, the organization Board will form the summary record of Vietnam rice.