Agro-forestry-fishery sector posts trade surplus of over US$12 bln in 2023
Vietnam’s agro-forestry-aquatic exports enjoyed a record trade surplus of US$12.07 billion in 2023, surging by 43.7%, and accounting for over 42.5% of the country's total trade surplus, heard a press conference in Hanoi on December 29.
The country earned US$53.01 billion from agro-forestry-aquatic exports in the year. Notably, some items witnessed record high export turnover, including fruits and vegetables with US$5.69 billion (up 69.2%), and rice, US$4.78 billion (up 38.4%).
Four other exports bringing home over US$3 billion were cashew nuts (US$3.63 billion), coffee (US$4.18 billion), shrimp (US$3.38 billion), and wood and wooden products (US$13.37 billion).
The country shipped approximately US$2.25 billion worth of durian products overseas in 2023, five times higher than the 2022 figure.
Agriculture continued to affirm its important position as a pillar of the economy, contributing to firmly ensuring food security, major balances of the national economy and stablising macroeconomy.
Total rice output nationwide reached 43.4 million tonnes, up 1.7% from 2022. Meanwhile, the aquatic production totalled 9.3 million tonnes, rising by 2.9% year-on-year.
Vietnam's ST25 fragrant rice variety won the World's Best Rice 2023 award for the second time.
According to Nguyen Van Viet, Director of the Planning Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the forestry sector saw an important milestone as procedures were successfully completed to transfer a reduced carbon emission volume of 10.3 million tonnes to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) through the World Bank (WB). The deal, valued at US$5 per tonne of CO2, amounts to US$51.5 million.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said that good export signals will create a premise for the agriculture sector to further foster exports in 2024.
