Vietnam sends 250 tonnes of rice to support Cuba's food security

The handover ceremony took place on Friday at the headquarters of Citricos Caribe S.A. in Havana, with representatives from the Vietnamese government, Vietnam’s AgriVMA rice company, and Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture in attendance.

The shipment was provided as non-refundable aid under an agreement between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Cuban Deputy Minister of Agriculture Telce Abdel González pledged favorable conditions for AgriVMA’s rice production project in Los Palacios District, Pinar del Rio Province, with the goal of expanding the model to other regions of the country.

He praised Vietnamese agricultural investors for contributing to Cuba’s agricultural output and food security, expressing hope that Vietnamese companies would broaden their investments beyond rice to other crops.

The Cuban official said agricultural cooperation helps align economic ties with the strong political relationship between the two nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long highlighted the significance of the event, saying it reflected the trust and commitment of Vietnamese enterprises investing in Cuba despite economic challenges.

Long emphasized that agricultural cooperation is a testament to the special solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

He thanked Cuba’s Ministry of Agriculture for its support for Vietnamese enterprises and reaffirmed that agricultural cooperation and food security assistance remain a priority for Vietnam’s leadership.

AgriVMA’s project currently cultivates more than 1,000 hectares of hybrid rice variety CT16 in Los Palacios, with yields exceeding seven metric tons per hectare.

The 250 metric tons of rice delivered marked the first shipment of 2026 under the bilateral agreement.

Dang Quang Thuy, executive director of the AgriVMA rice project in Pinar del Rio, reaffirmed the company’s determination to expand production in Cuba, strengthening comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.