Vietnam is estimated to ship over 1.4 million tons of rice abroad in the first four months this year, achieving USUS$446 million, down 19.4 per cent in volume and 7.3 per cent in value on-year, according to statistics released by the Government Statistics Office (GSO) on April 25.
The statistics showed as many as 600,000 tons of rice were exported in April alone, up 44,000 tons from the previous month.
Increasing local supply is the major reason for improving export volume in the month.
The Mekong Delta region, responsible for over 50 per cent of the country’s entire rice crop, has had major successes in combating rice diseases, with winter-spring crop output estimated at 9.2-9.3 million tons, exceeding the target.
Increased productivity and new disease resistant growing techniques will allow harvest of 6-8 tons of rice per ha for the winter-autumn crop.
“Farmers in the Mekong delta region have almost finished harvesting for the winter-spring paddy rice crop, and because rice supply is at the highest level so far this year, the prices are little changed this week,” said a state trader with Vietnam Food Association.
But the trader said prices could rise in the next few weeks, because global demand is expected to increase significantly soon.
He noted that Philippine authorities have just agreed to buy 103,750 tons of Vietnamese rice for delivery in the second quarter, raising its total purchases from Vietnam to 1.32 million tons this year.
Domestic enterprises are likely to export five million tons of rice this year, surpassing the figure previously set by the government.
Vietnam, the world’s second-largest rice exporter after Thailand, initially lowered its grain shipment target for 2007 to four million tons, after pests damaged part of the crop last year. (GSO Apr 25)
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