Havana, Oct. 21 -- After 23 years of implementation (2002-2025), the Vietnam - Cuba cooperation project on rice production (VIBA) has achieved remarkable success, helping the Caribbean nation move toward food security and self-sufficiency. Speaking at the project review ceremony in Varadero town of Matanzas province, Cuba's Minister of Agriculture Ydael Perez Brito described it as an epitome of effective partnership and shared efforts between the two nations. Launched in 2002, the project covered four rice-growing regions across 11 Cuban provinces. In its 2024-2025 phase, yields of fresh unhusked rice averaged 5.8 tonnes per hectare, 2.5 times higher than the traditional local output and surpassing the project's initial target of 5 tonnes...