Rice export is likely to reach 7.5 million tonnes this year, taking into account more than one million tonnes to be shipped throughout December under signed contracts, according to the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

In the first 10 months of this year, exporters sold abroad more than 6.4 million tones of rice, earning 2.9 billion USD, up 2.7 percent over the same period last year in the context that price declined by an average 40.3 USD per tonne.

Depending on new contracts signed in November, the country’s rice export volume can even hit 7.7 million tonnes, the highest figure over the past 20 years. This is a reverse of bad signs earlier this year when exports in the first quarter dropped by 45 percent, added VFA.

However, as India is resuming its rice export at prices lower than that of Vietnamese rice, it can be a difficulty for Vietnamese exporters in the remaining time of the year.

It is forecast that both demand and price will be favourable in early 2013.

Currently, besides traditional markets, Vietnamese exporters are penetrating deeper in other markets such as China and Africa.-VNA