Vietnamese rice seeks new markets

Faced with difficulties in traditional rice export markets, promoting the search for new markets is a solution to pave the way for rice enterprises to continue developing.

he: internet

Since the beginning of the year, rice exports have decreased. Vietnam's largest rice export market is China and other traditional markets such as Indonesia and the Philippines are also reducing rice imports.

Mr. Phan Van Chinh, Director of the Import-Export Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade, said: In addition to negotiating with traditional markets to increase rice exports, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is also actively negotiating with a number of markets with the hope that from now until the end of the year, it will open a number of new markets for exported rice.

Specifically, last August, Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on rice trade with Comoros (a country in East Africa) under which Vietnam will supply Comoros with 60,000 tons of rice per year from August 2013 to December 2015.

Previously, at the end of March 2013, Vietnam signed a Memorandum of Understanding on rice trade with Guinea, according to which Vietnam will supply Guinea with 300,000 tons of rice per year, effective from April 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. Comoros is also the third market in Africa (after Guinea and the Republic of Sierra Leone) to have a Memorandum of Understanding to directly import rice from Vietnam.

Africa is the world's largest rice consuming market with a demand of over 9 million tons of rice per year, of which 6.4-6.5 million tons of rice are imported per year, and is considered a potential market for Vietnamese rice exports. Rice has recently become the number 1 export product of our country in this region, accounting for 30% of Vietnam's total export value to Africa and 20% of Vietnam's total rice export turnover to the world.

From September 1 to September 26, 2013, rice exports to Africa accounted for 45% of Vietnam's total rice exports. Previously, Vietnamese rice exports to this region often encountered difficulties due to high prices because of having to pay through intermediaries, but recently, thanks to direct export memoranda, rice prices have decreased significantly.

Mexico is also a newly opened market for Vietnamese rice exports, with the export volume from the beginning of the year to date being around 3,000 tons. Although this is not an impressive number, it is worth mentioning that before 2013, no shipment of Vietnamese rice had been exported to this market due to strict quality requirements. The fact that Vietnamese rice has been able to enter this market shows that, with proper investment, Vietnamese rice can still meet the requirements of many of the most demanding markets.

According to the Government.Vn-PH