Maputo — Vietnam has pledged to sell 1.2 million tonnes of rice to Mozambique, at a rate of 400,000 tonnes a year, over the next three years.

The Mozambican Industry and Trade Minister, Antonio Fernando, told reporters that the price of the grain has yet to be negotiated between Mozambican importing companies, and the Vietnamese authorities.

Fernando said that these imports are expected to cover Mozambique's rice deficit of 316,000 tonnes a year. The country' estimated annual consumption of rice is 539,000 tonnes, but Mozambique's latest rice harvest produced only 223,000 tonnes.

"Vietnam has pledged to continue exporting rice to Mozambique, and we managed to persuade them to grant 1.2 million tonnes for the next three years", said Fernando, who visited Vietnam in early June.

"As a government, we have done our part, and now the Mozambican companies should seat down with the Vietnamese and negotiate the prices", said Fernando.

Vietnam resumed rice exports last week, after an export ban lasting about three months, to face inflation resulting from the in crease in the rice price, and to guarantee enough supplies for its own domestic market.

Vietnam has lowered its export quotas from 4.5 to five million tonnes a year to 3.5 to four million tonnes.