Vietnam has so far this year imported nearly 4,400 tons of Chinese hybrid rice seeds via its international border gate of Lao Cai to serve next year's spring crop.

Local enterprises are negotiating with Chinese partners on price reduction so that they will import additional 1,600 tons of hybrid rice seeds via the northern border gate in the next two weeks, according to local newspaper Vietnam Agriculture on Wednesday.

Vietnam has to annually import 11,000-14,000 tons of hybrid rice seeds, mainly from China, while being able to produce some 4,000 tons of the seeds. It is further developing and promoting the use of hybrid rice to better ensure food security and reduce reliance on hybrid rice imports.

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has recently recognized the country's first national hybrid rice variety, Viet Lai 20, which has a growth period of only 85-115 days, an ability to resist some common pests and diseases, and a productivity of 6.5-8 tons per hectare. Local farmers started using hybrid rice seeds in 1992.

Vietnam produced 35.7 million tons of paddy rice this year, posting a year-on-year rise of 3.5 percent. It has so far this year signed to export around 4 million tons of rice, of which 100,000 tons will be delivered early next year.