ZCZC
BCN-42
VIETNAM-AGRICULTURE-RICE-EXPORT
Vietnam’s rice export surges in 1st half
HANOI, June 28, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Vietnam exported nearly 3.6 million
tons of rice worth over 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this
year, up 12.5 percent in volume, and up 42 percent in value against the same
period last year, its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on
Thursday.
In June, export prices of rice of major rice producers decreased, but
export prices of 5-percent-broken rice of Vietnam were stood at 450 U.S.
dollars per ton, 15-40 U.S. dollars higher than those of similar grains of
Thailand and India.
Vietnam, which shipped abroad roughly 5.9 million tons of rice worth
nearly 2.7 billion U.S. dollars last year, mainly to China and the
Philippines, plans to export 6.5 million tons of rice, including higher
volumes of such high-grade rice as Japonica, fragrant rice and sticky rice,
this year.
In recent years, Vietnam has increased export of high-grade rice, with
Japonica accounting for 4.4 percent of its total rice export in 2017,
according to the Vietnam Food Association.
The country is focusing on using better rice growing, harvesting,
postharvest, storage and transport practices and types so that rice will have
uniform moisture contents, high weight, no foreign material, low percentage
of discolored, broken and damaged kernels, no presence of insects and molds,
and high protein and vitamin content.
Vietnam’s paddy rice-growing area was over 7.7 million hectares in 2017,
and its paddy rice output last year dropped for the first time over the past
20 years to 42.8 million tons, said the agriculture ministry.
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1435