Big Delta rice market set to open next year

CAN THO (VNS)— The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's largest wholesale rice market, which is under construction in Can Tho City's Thot Not District, will become operational next year.

Located on 21.5 ha, the Thot Not Rice Market will have warehouses that can store 150,000 tonnes of rice, 74,700 sq.m of drying yards, and processing lines with a total capacity of 350,000 tonnes per year.

The Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) broke ground for construction of the market last week

Vinafood 2 will invest VND812 billion (US$3.9 million) in the wholesale market, which also includes a shop selling farming materials, machinery and equipment.

It will also help store farmers' paddy and rice so that they can be used as collateral for bank loans.

The first stage of the rice market project, which includes a 1,000 tonne/day husking plant, a 17,000tonne warehouse and 10,700 sq. metres of drying yards, will be completed and brought into operation next year.

The second stage of the market will become operational two years later.

Nguyen Ngoc Nam, Deputy General Director of Vinafood 2, said when it is operational, the Thot Not Rice Market will not only help enhance the company's rice trading capacity, but also boost rice production and trading in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.

Nam said the new market will be the largest of 40 projects invested in by the company under the Government's programme to build warehouses to store a million tonnes of rice. — VNS