Vietnam exported over 3.6 million tonnes of rice for a free-on-board value of over 1.56 billion USD as of July 31, the Vietnam Food Association reported.

The figures showed a decrease of 10.78 percent in volume and 10.27 percent in value.

According to the Department of Cultivation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, rice price in the Mekong Delta, the country’s biggest granary, is on the rise as more firms are stocking up the staple for export.

The region is spreading the big-scale paddy field model, designed to connect farmers and businesses throughout the farming and sale process.

It plans to expand the model scope to cover up to 201,000ha from the current 140,000ha by the end of this year.

As originally planned, rice exporters nationwide are working to ship 6.2-6.5 million tonnes of the grain this year.-VNA