Vietnam exported 900,000 tonnes of rice worth 410 million USD in January-February, up 27 percent and 32 percent, respectively. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Riceis one of the rare commodities that is not being seriously affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic, with both export volume and value increasing in the firsttwo months of 2020.
Accordingto the General Statistics Office, Vietnam exported 900,000 tonnes ofrice worth 410 million USD in January-February, up 27 percent and 32 percent,respectively.
ViceChairman of the Vietnam Food Association Do Ha Namsaid COVID-19 has not affected Vietnam’srice exports thanks to the country’s market diversification that means it doesnot have a heavy dependence on a single market.
Phan Xuan Que, General Director of the Vietnam NorthernFood Corporation (VINAFOOD 1), expressed his optimism about the prospects ofemerging markets in Africa.
In 2019, Vietnamearned 252.6 million USD from exporting 583,579 tonnes of rice to Ivory Coast, up111 percent in volume and 61 percent in value compared to the previous year.
Ghana alsoimported 427,187 tonnes of rice worth 212.65 million USD from Vietnam.
This year, African countries are likely to increase riceimports from Vietnam,he said.
Another positive sign for rice businesses is the pricescould surge due to strong demand from the Philippinesand Malaysia.
Que said with the results from January-February, it isfeasible for the rice industry to realise its target of grossing over 3 billionUSD from shipping 6.7 million tonnes abroad this year.
Besides, the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) isexpected to create more competitive advantages for Vietnam’s rice exports to the EUonce it takes effect and offers zero-percent tariffs./.
VNA
