Vietnam-Cuba rice cooperation project opens a new chapter

Recently, the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture welcomed a delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, led by Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien. The cordial meeting once again reflected the determination of both sides to promote agricultural cooperation and ensure food security, which has long been regarded as a cornerstone of the special diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba.

At the meeting, Cuban Deputy Minister of Agriculture Telce González Morera emphasized that agricultural cooperation between the two countries, which began in the late 1990s, is now entering its most favorable stage, receiving special attention from the top leaders of both nations.

This working visit of Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment aimed to prepare for the review of five phases of the Vietnam-Cuba rice production cooperation project, while also acknowledging the positive outcomes of rice production models invested by Vietnamese enterprises since November 2024. Accordingly, the two ministries will agree on approaches to sustain the results of technical assistance projects and create favorable conditions for scaling up rice production models in Cuba.

The rice project has been implemented comprehensively, achieving yields of 7 tons per hectare, enabling Cuba to be more proactive in production and secure higher outputs. In 2025, intensive cultivation models have already reached yields of 5.6–6 tons per hectare per crop. However, both sides also candidly acknowledged challenges facing the projects, particularly in ensuring stable supplies of agricultural inputs.

According to Deputy Minister Telce, beyond rice, corn cooperation between the two countries has also yielded positive results, with yields of around 5 tons per hectare. Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien agreed with the Cuban side, affirming that Vietnam will continue to encourage more enterprises to invest in agricultural production while taking advantage of Cuba’s strengths in biotechnology.

To prepare for the review of the five-phase rice project, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien put forward specific recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of future cooperation. In this regard, the Cuban Deputy Minister of Agriculture directed relevant units to coordinate with the Vietnamese delegation in conducting field surveys and assessments of the current situation, the sustainability of rice production and intensive cultivation models in Cuba, with the aim of expanding successful practices. Both sides will jointly review the project by the end of 2025.

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He also expressed strong confidence that cooperation between the two ministries will become increasingly substantive and effective, expanding beyond rice and maize to livestock, veterinary medicine, aquaculture, and fisheries.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien shared that Vietnam had also gone through a long period of food insecurity. It was only after implementing Directive 100-CT/TW and Resolution 10-NQ/TW (“Khoan 10”) that agriculture truly revived, resolving many bottlenecks. In 1989, Vietnam exported 1.41 million tons of rice; by 2024, rice exports had reached 9.3 million tons, earning 5.4 billion USD, while ensuring food security for over 100 million people and maintaining its position as one of the world’s leading rice exporters, he noted.

Vietnam is ready to share its experience from agricultural renovation and to accompany Cuba in ensuring food security and developing sustainable agricultural production.

In response, Deputy Minister Telce expressed profound gratitude to the Government and people of Vietnam, as well as to MAE for their constant companionship and support. He noted that the First Secretary and President of Cuba, along with other top leaders, closely monitor cooperation projects with Vietnam, holding bi-weekly meetings to track their progress. Cuba has also issued a range of policies to encourage and support Vietnamese enterprises to invest in and develop agricultural production in the country.

The meeting reaffirmed that agricultural cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba not only brings economic value but also embodies the deep traditional friendship and enduring solidarity between the two peoples. As President Fidel Castro once declared, for Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood - a spirit that will continue to inspire both countries to overcome challenges and ensure that agricultural cooperation delivers practical benefits to their people.