Vietnam predicted to retain its position as world’s second largest rice export
VOV.VN - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has anticipated that Vietnam would maintain its position as the world’s second biggest rice exporter this year.
According to the department, Vietnam will export 6.4 million tonnes of rice in 2011, representing a rise of 233,000 tonnes in comparison with the previous year.
India is likely to remain the largest rice exporter in the world, with 15.5 million tonnes rice set to be shipped abroad this year, while Thailand will come third with an estimated export volume of 6.1 million tonnes.
Last year, Vietnam exported 6.15 million tonnes of rice valued at US$ 3.07 billion, down 3.5% in volume but up 9.3% in value year-on-year.
Statistics indicate that over the past four months of this year, the nation shipped 1.89 million tonnes of rice, down 10.8% in volume but up 1.2% in value over the corresponding period last year.
According to the Vietnam Food Association, Vietnam’s rice export structure has shifted towards quality types with higher prices and added values.
In addition, rice farmers and traders are paying greater attention to improving quality, and traceability towards meeting the strict standards of demanding markets such as the EU, the Republic of Korea and the US.