About 1.3 -1.4 million tonnes of rice will be exported in May and June, raising total rice exports in the first six months of this year to 3.3 million tonnes. The figures were released by the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) at a meeting held in the southern province of Can Tho on May 6 to draw up plans for exporting rice in the two months along with reviewing operations in the field during the last four months. However, the figures are 300,000 - 350,000 lower than that in the same period last year and also less than the amount in the contracts Vietnam has signed with foreign partners.

 According to the VFA, the global demand for rice is still dropping due to the devaluation of the Euro and rice stockpiles in the African countries that remain full. On the bright side, the rice export prices in South America and several Asian countries like Thailand and China are still higher than that of Vietnam’s. In the first four months of this year, Vietnam shipped 1.978 million tonnes of rice at an average price of US$466.95 per tonne, a year-on-year increase of US$59.53 per tonne. Of the total, about 75% has been purchased by Asian countries and over 13% is exported to Africa. (VNA)