Vietnamese rice export triples in first two months
Thursday, 5 March 2009
HANOI, Mar 4 (Xinhua): Vietnam exported 1.05 million tons of rice in the first two months this year, almost tripling the figure for the same period last year, with more overseas markets being tapped, Vietnam News reported today.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in February alone, the country exported 750,000 tons of rice.
Export prices were also hitting new high, climbing to 396 dollar each ton in January and between 430 to 460 dollars in February.
Buyers in Africa, Iraq and Cuba bought half of the exported amount and the Philippines received the first batch of rice they ordered under contracts for a total of 1.5 million tons in 2009.
So far, Vietnamese exporters have signed contracts to export 3 million tons of rice this year, and expected to deliver up to 2.8 million tons in the first six months. But the success of rice export is not matched by Vietnam's other agricultural goods. Agricultural export value, excluding rice, declined 5.3 per cent year-on-year to 2 billion U.S. dollars.
Export value for coffee fell 11.5 per cent to 411 million U.S. dollars while seafood exports dropped by 15.5 per cent to 415 million dollars.
To improve the bigger picture of the agricultural export, the ministry urged companies and trade associations to pay bigger attention to market data and forecasting in both international and domestic market, and be more proactive in production and business planning.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in February alone, the country exported 750,000 tons of rice.
Export prices were also hitting new high, climbing to 396 dollar each ton in January and between 430 to 460 dollars in February.
Buyers in Africa, Iraq and Cuba bought half of the exported amount and the Philippines received the first batch of rice they ordered under contracts for a total of 1.5 million tons in 2009.
So far, Vietnamese exporters have signed contracts to export 3 million tons of rice this year, and expected to deliver up to 2.8 million tons in the first six months. But the success of rice export is not matched by Vietnam's other agricultural goods. Agricultural export value, excluding rice, declined 5.3 per cent year-on-year to 2 billion U.S. dollars.
Export value for coffee fell 11.5 per cent to 411 million U.S. dollars while seafood exports dropped by 15.5 per cent to 415 million dollars.
To improve the bigger picture of the agricultural export, the ministry urged companies and trade associations to pay bigger attention to market data and forecasting in both international and domestic market, and be more proactive in production and business planning.