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Year's rice exports to top 6.2m tonnes
Rice exports are likely to be 1.7 million tonnes in the third quarter and 1.2 million tonnes in the fourth, raising the year's figure to 6.2 million tonnes, according to the Viet Nam Food Association (VFA).
Speaking at a meeting held in HCM City last Friday to review rice exports in the first half of this year and draw up plans for the second, Huynh Minh Hue, the VFA's general secretary, said businesses exported 3.33 million tonnes of rice worth US$1.48 billion in the first half.
This represented a fall of 8.76 per cent in volume and 1.32 per cent in value.
The average export price in the first half was $445.08 a tonne, a year-on-year increase of $33.54 per tonne, Hue said.
Countries in Asia and Africa were the main buyers of Vietnamese rice.
Farmers are currently starting to harvest the summer-autumn crop, which will yield around 2 million tonnes, he said, adding that food companies and traders already have around 1.35 million tonnes in stock.
VFA Chairman Truong Thanh Phong encouraged rice exporters to increase shipments but asked them not to sell at less than $300 a tonne.
He also petitioned the Government to give farmers, for many of whom bank loans had fallen due, more time to repay since they were unable to sell their paddy since traders were not buying.
To increase exports, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Bien said his ministry would assist firms with trade promotion and finding new markets, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
The VFA has ordered its 48 member-companies to start buying 1 million tonnes of rice from farmers at not less than VND3,500 ($0.18) per kilogramme as directed by the Government on June 30.
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