(VOVworld) – Vietnam has pledged to contribute 14,000 tons of rice to the ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) annually.

At its 2^nd meeting in Hanoi on Thursday, the partner countries to the Reserve agreed on the basic targets for resolving food security in Southeast Asia, quickly responding to the demands of people affected by natural disaster and the handling of any rice trading shocks.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Le Quoc Doanh, spoke at the meeting: “The official operation of the ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve and the implementation of its action plan show the determination and cooperation among member countries. Ensuring food security, especially in emergency situations and responding to the aftermath, requires joint efforts between regional countries and immediate measures to ensure the efficiency of emergency relief programs.” 

The ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve was established in 2012 among 10 ASEAN countries and its partners, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea. The rice reserve used contributions from its members to ensure food security through governmental trade relations and to provide disaster relief.