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Quicker timescales help to boost exports
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has directed businesses to speed up exports already under contract while stepping up trade promotions and seeking out new markets.
The MARD says that since earlier this year most exports have increased in volume but decreased in value compared to last year.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, businesses are so far committed to exporting 5 million tonnes of rice, so in the near future they should start to purchase rice from farmers to accelerate exports.
Due to the global economic downturn, coffee price have fallen sharply, causing a number of difficulties for local businesses. The Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association has warned businesses that they should not sign export contracts at the moment.
Consumers of timber and wooden products in the US, Japan and the EU have turned from luxury products to household items. Orders have also fallen by 10 percent compared to 2008. In addition, wood export businesses are facing protectionist moves from importers, such as demanding certificates of origin, which takes a lot of time and money.
According to the MARD’s statistics, the total exports of agricultural, forestry and seafood products in the past 7 months are estimated to have reached US$9.08 billion, down 5.23 percent compared to the same period of 2008. Of this figure, agricultural products hit US$5.02 billion, down 5.32 percent, seafood netted US$2.16 billion, down 9.49 percent and forestry products made US$1.43 billion, down 17.44 percent.
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