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Rice exports soar 70% in ’09
Rice exports have risen dramatically so far this year compared to the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Rice export volume has increased more than 70 per cent and value has climbed 80 per cent since the beginning of the year, according to the Viet Nam Food Association (VFA).
About 235,000 tonnes of rice were exported in the first half of April, making the total for the period under review 1.8 million tonnes, valued at US$736 million.
Export prices for the first half of April increased to $460 per tonne for 5 per cent broken rice and to $400 per tonne for 25 per cent broken rice, up $5-20 a tonne compared to March.
World rice prices had continued to rise slightly, said the VFA, adding that rice exporters had signed contracts to deliver 3.65 million tonnes of rice during the first half of the year.
Higher yields
Nguyen Tri Ngoc, Head of the Ministry's Cultivation Department, said a total of 18 million tonnes of the winter-spring rice crop was expected to be harvested nationwide.
The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta, the country's largest rice basket, has harvested 95 per cent of its crop, with a total output of about 9.72 million tonnes.
Northern provinces are expected to have a total output of 6.5 million tonnes.
Ngoc said the average yield of the winter-spring crop was 6.5 tonnes per ha, up 300 kg a ha compared to last year's winter-spring crop.
With current domestic rice prices, rice farmers have been ensured a profit of more than 30 per cent. To avoid price fluctuation, all of the harvested rice should be purchased by traders to keep farmers' incomes stable according to MARD.
vietnamnet, vietnamplus
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