HANOI: Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan, Vietnam shipped 861,000 tonnes during the January-February period, bringing in US$419 million, up 17% in volume and 34% in value.He added that the Philippines remain the largest buyer of Vietnamese rice, accounting for 26.9%, followed by China with 23.5% of the total Vietnamese rice exports.
In addition to selling a greater volume, Vietnamese exporters also saw higher prices at US$475 a tonne, compared with US$435 in 2016 and US$450 in 2017.
The deputy minister attributed the higher export prices to the better quality of rice.
Currently, high-quality rice, including glutinous, fragrant and jasmine varieties, accounts for more than 80% of Vietnam’s total rice exports.