VOV.VN - Vietnam’s rice exports recorded a sharp increase in the first half of March in comparison to the previous period from last year, with Thailand emerging as a key market, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Though the prices of Vietnamese 5% broken white rice fell US$20 per tonne in a week, most local rice exporters said the decline would make sales easier.

VOV.VN - Vietnam’s rice export prices hit a more than nine-year high this week as fresh orders trickled in, according to Business Recorder, a financial daily in Pakistan.

Vietnam exported 638,000 tonnes of rice worth US$352 million in the first two months of 2021, down 31.4% in volume and 18.3% in value year-on-year.

Increasing global demand, stable domestic production, and better rice quality count among the reasons Vietnam can be confident its rice exports will prosper again in 2021 and surpass the 3.1 billion USD in revenue posted in 2020, despite a significant decline in the first two months of this year.

This year’s rice exports will not only sustain the value growth seen in 2020 but also increase in volume, a leader from major rice exporter - the Trung An Hi-tech Farming JSC - has said.

VOV.VN - The nation’s rice export price in January stood at US$551.7 per tonne, representing a year-on-year rise of 15.4%, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

High hopes are pinned on Vietnam’s rice exports in 2021 when major export markets such as the Philippines and Africa continue to sign contracts to buy rice from Vietnam, while many others have great demand for fragrant rice and sticky rice – which are advantageous staples of Vietnamese enterprises.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Dang Hoang An recently had a working session with UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward to discuss bilateral cooperation in trade and energy.

The first 60 tonnes of jasmin rice shipped to the UK under the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) hit the shelves in London on January 26.