Around 1 mln Vietnamese in shortage of rice for food: official

Around one million Vietnamese people living in mountainous area are in shortage of rice and have to use corn, cassava for food, said Ma Quang Trung, head of Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on Wednesday.

Trung made the remark at a seminar on building a national action plan for the United Nations (UN) "Zero Hunger Challenge" held in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Wednesday.

According to Trung, part of Vietnamese in mountainous area faces difficulties in food access, especially rice, due to lack of income, limitation in infrastructure and food supply system.

Cao Duc Phat, MARD's minister said at the seminar that in 2013, a total of one fourth of Vietnamese kids under five years old suffered from stunting and malnutrition.

In addition, Vietnam is encountering challenges in ensuring food security including population increase, climate change, decrease in production land, and deterioration in water and land resources among others, state-run news agency VNA quoted the official as saying.

In order to realize the initiative "Zero Hunger Challenge," Vietnam's MARD will promote agricultural production such as agricultural extension, New Rural construction movement, food safety and hygiene management, and ensuring clean water in rural area.

The country will also set up a Central Steering Committee of the national action plan for Zero Hunger Challenge, reported VNA.

Zero Hunger Challenge was launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2012. The initiative involves five main goals that need reaching by 2025 including zero stunted children less than 2 years old, 100 percent access to adequate food all year round, sustainability in all food systems, 100 percent increase in smallholder productivity and income, and zero loss or waste of food. Endi