In mid June, a source from the Trade Ministry said that about 300 tons of ordinary Vietnamese rice exported to Japan had been discovered with the acetamiprid residue of 0.03ppm, well exceeding the legal rate of 0.01ppm. That news worried among many rice exporters. Acetamiprid, an anti-biotic used to kill green pests and other insects appearing in rice, rapidly disintegrates.

Immediately, the Vegetation Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development promptly co-ordinated with provinces of the Cuu Long River Delta and exporters to check the claim. As of June 19, 2007, southern provinces had exported more than 64,035 tons of rice to Japan this year.

In May, 18,795.5 tons of rice were exported to the country of the rising sun by Angimex-Kotoku of An Giang province and Dagrimex. No sample of exported rice was left in the two companies, therefore, the Plant Protection Department had no sample to analyse for acetamiprid.

Luckily, at the Vegetation Quarantine branch of region 2, three rice samples of three batches exported to Japan were kept. After carefully analysing those samples, the department announced it had found no acetamiprid residue.

How could it be that Japan found acetamiprid residue in Vietnamese rice while Vietnam found nothing?

Explaining this, Mr Pham Minh Sang, vice director of the Southern Medicine Control Centre for Vegetation Protection, said that while there were no differences in the methods used to check for acetamiprid residue used by Japan and Vietnam, Vietnam’s test result was also correct.

However, this is a warning to Vietnam to strictly check rice quality before exporting to other countries, especially Japan, which is among Vietnam’s 10 biggest rice markets. That will reassure Vietnam’s rice export markets.