Agro-forestry-fishery exports reach nearly US$27 billion in nine months

Vietnamese dragon fruit are receiving a warm response from international markets

According to the latest statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, contributing to the total value of agro-forestry-fishery exports in the past nine months, the export value of major agricultural commodities is estimated at US$14.38 billion, up 17.7% against 2016; aquatic products at US$5.91 billion, up 18.1%; and the value of major forest product exports making up US$5.78 billion, an increase of 10.6%.

In particular, the strongest increase is found in the rubber sector, up 52.7% in value and a 13.3% increase in volume over the same period last year. The estimated export volume of rubber in the nine month period reached almost 980,000 tonnes, bringing in approximately US$1.66 billion.

Meanwhile, rice exports are growing stably, with a 20.8% increase in volume and a 18.6% increase in value, to reach 4.57 million tonnes and US$2.02 billion, respectively. The average rice export price in the first eight months of 2017 was at US$440.3 per tonne, down 2.1% over the same period in 2016. China continues to rank first among the Vietnamese rice import markets in the first eight months, with 38.8% market share.

Among the largest contributors to the whole sector’s total export turnover are fishery and wood and wooden products, which increased by 18.1% and 10.6% in value, respectively. Wood and wooden products brought in US$5.51 billion and aquatic products US$5.91 billion.

Coffee exports were estimated at 1.11 million tonnes, worth US$2.54 billion, down 20.7% in volume but up 1% in value over the same period in 2016. The average coffee export price in the first eight months was at US$2,281.4 per tonne, up 28.5%. Germany and the US continue to be the two largest consumer markets for Vietnamese coffee in the first eight months, with market shares at 14.7% and 13.5%, respectively.

Cashew exports also brought in US$2.55 billion, down 0.2% in volume but up 25% in value over the same period in 2016.

More importantly, fruit and vegetable exports continue to grow strongly, bringing in US$2.64 billion, up 44.2% over the same period last year. China, Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea were the top four import markets for Vietnam's fruits and vegetables during the period, accounting for 85.2% of total exports.