Exports of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products reached over 10.7 billion USD.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the export value of agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in the first five months of 2013 reached over 10.7 billion USD, a decrease of 4.6% compared to the same period last year.
Wood panel production for export by a business in Huu Lung district (Lang Son province).
Due to market difficulties and falling export prices, apart from forestry products which maintained growth, major agricultural and aquatic products experienced a decline compared to the previous year.
Of this total, rice exports in the first five months were estimated at 2.86 million tons, valued at over US$1.26 billion, a decrease of more than 3% in volume and nearly 8% in value compared to the same period last year. China remained the largest rice export market for Vietnam, accounting for 38.7% of the total export value, followed by Malaysia (6.1%), Singapore (5.6%), Hong Kong (4.2%), and Indonesia (4.1%).
Coffee exports also declined quite sharply, with estimated coffee exports in the first five months reaching 697,000 tons, valued at nearly $1.49 billion, a decrease of over 23% in volume and nearly 22% in value compared to the same period in 2012. Germany and the United States remain Vietnam's two largest coffee markets, accounting for 13.5% and 11.8% respectively of total export value.
Tea exports in the first five months of the year are estimated at 48,000 tons, valued at US$73 million, a decrease of 5.6% in volume but an increase of 1.3% in value compared to the same period in 2012. The average export price of tea reached US$1,501 per ton, an increase of 6.2% compared to the same period last year.
Among agricultural products, cashew nuts and pepper achieved growth in both volume and value. Total cashew nut exports in the first five months of the year reached 85,000 tons with a value of 535 million USD, an increase of 9.7% in volume and 0.8% in value compared to the same period in 2012.
The United States, China, and the Netherlands are Vietnam's three largest cashew export markets, accounting for 27.7%, 17.9%, and 10.5% respectively of the total export value.
For pepper, exports in the first five months reached 68,000 tons with a value of 446 million USD, an increase of 13.9% in volume and 9.6% in value compared to the same period last year.
For wood and wood products, the estimated export value in the first five months of the year reached US$2 billion, an increase of 10.4% compared to the same period in 2012. Except for the German market, which saw a decline, most major consumer markets experienced strong growth compared to the same period last year, such as the United States (up 6%), China (19.1%), Japan (16.3%), and South Korea (20.7%).
Seafood exports in the first five months of the year reached over $2.2 billion, a decrease of 5.6% compared to the same period last year.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development directs units within the industry to continue improving the quality of export products, ensuring food safety and hygiene requirements. In addition to traditional markets, businesses are increasing investment in trade promotion, expanding into new export markets; and exploring all possible solutions to boost exports of key agricultural, forestry, and aquatic products in the coming months.
According to (VietNamPlus) - LY
