Vietnam is estimated to have exported 3.381 million tons of rice worth US$2.235 billion in the first eight months of 2008, down 4.8 per cent on year in volume but up 96.1 per cent in value, the General Statistics Office (GSO) showed on August 26.
The figures showed that the country’s target to export 3.5 million tons of rice in the first nine months is reachable.
According to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), the country exported 312,753 tons in the first 22 days of August, earning US$238.482 million.
The VFA Vietnam’s main export markets are Asian countries, which consume 61.58 per cent of exports, Africa (17.13 per cent), America (14.73 per cent) and other countries in the Middle East (4.2 per cent) and Europe.
In June 2008, Cuba surpassed the Philippines to become the biggest rice export market for Vietnam, buying 85,200 tons worth US$102.6 million, representing a 27.9 per cent increase in volume and 48.1 per cent in value compared to May 2008. In the first half, the total exports to the market were 336,575 tons worth US$296.8 million.
Meanwhile, Vietnam’s second-biggest market, the Philippines, saw a sharp decrease in imports with 61,542 tons, worth US$58.3 million, down by 77.5 per cent in volume and 73.9 per cent in value compared to May 2008. However, the total exports to the market in the first half were relatively big at 1.1 million tons valued at US$633.6 million.
The rice exports to Angola also witnessed the sharp increase of 148.1 per cent in volume and 224.3 per cent in value over the previous month, 25,600 tons, worth US$19.4 million. The exports to Russia in the month also increased to 8,097 tons, bringing the turnover of US$6.768 million.
Poland has never been a big export market for Vietnam, but it really saw a sharp increase in export turnover (+153.9 per cent in volume and + 187.9 per cent in value).
Export prices of Vietnamese rice, as well as the world rice, have kept falling since late June 2008.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the world’s prices are on the decrease due to the bountiful crops in big rice export countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Pakistan, while big import countries have bought volumes big enough to meet the demand.
Thailand’s inventory volume has reached 2.57 million tons, up 20 per cent compared to the beginning of 2008. The country expects to harvest 7.6 million tons of paddy in Aug and Sept, up 3.6 million tons from the 4 million ton level in the same period last year.
Vietnam expected to reap 37 million tons of paddy in 2008, up one million ton on year. (GSO Aug Edition, Vinanet, Vietnamnet)
Vietnamese
