Agro-forestry-fishery export picks up 5.5 percent

Hanoi (VNA) – Agro-forestry-fishery exports were estimated to yield 4.2 billion USD in the first two months of the year, rising 5.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Major farm produce shipped to foreign countries brought home 1.9 billion USD in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 4.2 percent. Meanwhile, aquaculture and forestry exports were calculated at 938 million USD and 1.1 billion USD, up 11.9 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively.

In February alone, the country raked in 1.88 billion USD from agro-forestry-fishery exports.

During the month, some 523,000 tonnes of rice were shipped abroad and brought home 228 million USD. Indonesia became Vietnam’s largest rice importer, accounting for 25.2 percent of the market share, followed by China at 12.51 percent.

Strong growth markets included the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan (China) while a sharp fall in rice consumption was seen in Ivory Coast, Hong Kong (China) and the US.

The country exported 125,000 tonnes of coffee in February, generating 210 million USD, bringing total coffee exports in the two-month period to 295,000 tonnes valued at 505 million USD, up 26.7 percent in volume and 2.9 percent in value. Germany and the US remained Vietnam’s biggest coffee importers with 18.68 percent and 13.07 percent of the market share, respectively.

Some 35,000 tonnes of rubber worth 38 million USD were sold to foreign countries in February, lifting total rubber exports in the first two months to 128,000 tonnes valued at 143 million USD, down 3.7 percent in quantity and 24.6 percent in value. The largest rubber consumers were China, India and Malaysia.

The value of aquatic product exports in the month contributed 466 million USD to overall January-February seafood exports of nearly 1.1 billion USD, up 8.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

However, the country also splashed out 1.15 billion USD on agro-forestry-fishery imports. Thus, total imports in the first two months were 3.08 billion USD, dropping 8 percent against the same period last year. Imports of major products were 2.2 billion USD, a year-on-year decline of 7.7 percent.-VNA