Food Prices to be Stable in 2009
The price of foodstuffs in 2009 will remain stable throughout this year, the Saigon Liberation reported, citing the Domestic Market Management Board.
Thailand, the world's biggest rice exporter, is selling rice at US$520-US$550 a ton while Vietnam is expected to sell at US$400-US$410 per ton of broken rice.
In 2008, export price of Vietnamese rice was averaging at US$610 per ton, 85 per cent higher than 2007. Economists predicted that the price of import rice will slightly decrease due to abundant rice in big exporter countries.
Farmers in northern Vietnam have harvested around six million tons, an increase of 140,000 tons compared to the previous year.
In the south, the autumn-winter crop is currently being harvested. Prices have slightly increased due to Vietnam Food Corporation of the North and the South continuing to purchase 1.1 million of tons of stockpiled rice.
The board said foodstuff prices will remain stable if the weather is good and if there is no fluctuation in the price of agricultural products, such as fertilizers. (Saigon Liberation)
Vietnamese
