Vietnam Wins Deal to Export Rice to Japan

Vietnam on February 16 won a contract to supply 14,000 tons of rice to Japan, marking the second such contract the Southeast Asian country has been awarded this year, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan.

 

The contract price was set at USUS$528.6 a ton. Trade officials attribute the successful tender to competitive pricing and product quality improvements that meet Japan’s strict food hygiene requirements on imports.

 

Local producers, though, have been urged by government officials to continue improving quality control procedures.

 

Japan has become a major market for Vietnamese rice exports since the country won its first contract in 2002.

 

Last year, Vietnam was offered seven contracts from Japan, shipping more than 124,000 tons of rice, including 3,000 tons of sticky rice. Total rice exports to Japan have increased dramatically from a mere 5,000 tons in 2002.

 

Despite the progress, shipments of rice, which is Vietnam’s leading agriculture export, fell to its lowest level in seven years in January. Exports reached only 40,000 tons last month, generating US$15 million in revenue, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

 

The 19 per cent year-on-year decline, though, was widely expected due to State restrictions on exports to ensure domestic food security. (VNS)