Asia continues to become the potential market of Vietnam’s rice exports this year, especially Malaysia and the Philippines, according to the Vietnam market analysis and forecast joint stock company.

In 2009, Vietnam’s rice exports to other Asian countries accounted for 61.68 percent of the country’s rice export turnover with more than half of the Asia’s market share belonging to the Philippines, which was followed by Malaysia with 9 percent.

A recent report released by the US Department of Agriculture stated that Asia’s demand for rice imports will stand at 14.8 million tonnes in 2010, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent over 2009.

The main import markets include Iraq, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Malaysia, the report said./.