HANOI (Dow Jones)--Vietnam plans to boost rice exports to 4 million tons by the end of September from an earlier target of 3.5 million tons, the state media reported Thursday.

  "The country will try to export 4 million tons of rice by the end of the third quarter this year," the Thanh Nien newspaper reported, citing Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Thanh Bien.

  Bien told rice exporters in the Mekong delta region that the country may  ship more consignments of the commodity in the fourth quarter once the target is accomplished. 

Local leaders of the provinces in the Mekong delta region - where most of Vietnam's rice for export is grown - are asking the government to set a new  quota of 4.5 million, valued at $2 billion for this year, the newspaper said. 
 
Vietnam is expected to sign export contracts for 1.6 million tons between July and September, the report said. 
 
 
-By Nguyen Pham Muoi, Dow Jones Newswires; 84 913220614; This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
 
 
  (END) Dow Jones Newswires