Yearly agricultural export target achievable: official

A rubber production line. Coffee is one of seven items and product groups posted an export value of over $1 billion. — Photo vneconomy.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phùng Đức Tiến has affirmed his confidence that Việt Nam’s agro-forestry-aquatic product exports can reach the revenue target of US$55-56 billion this year.

He said export outcomes in the first half of this year have created a foundation for the sector to realise the target.

Specifically, the total export turnover of agro-forestry-aquatic products in the first six months reached $29.2 billion, up 19 per cent over the same period last year. Of the sum, the export value of main agricultural products stood at $15.76 billion (up 24.4 per cent); key forestry products, $7.95 billion (up 21.2 per cent); aquatic products, $4.36 billion (up 4.9 per cent); and husbandry products, $240 million (up 3.8 per cent).

Seven items and product groups posted an export value of over $1 billion, namely coffee, rubber, rice, fruits and vegetables, cashew nuts, shrimp, and wood products.

Rice and cashew nuts saw increases in both volume and value. Accordingly, rice exports hit 4.68 million tonnes (up 10.4 per cent), with a turnover of $2.98 billion (up 32 per cent); and cashew nuts reached 350,000 tonnes (up 24.9 per cent), worth $1.92 billion (up 17.4 per cent).

Coffee exports dropped by 10.5 per cent in volume to 902,000 tonnes but increased by 34.6 per cent in value to $3.22 billion as the average export price increased by 50.4 per cent.

During the first half, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development focused on implementing projects to promote agro-forestry-aquatic product exports to key markets approved in late 2023, including China, the US, Japan and the EU. At the same time, the ministry worked to gain access to new, potential markets like Middle East and African countries.

Thanks to such efforts, the export value continued rising, with a trade surplus of $8.28 billion, up 62.4 per cent year-on-year.

The five items with the highest trade surplus were wood and wood products ($6.16 billion, up 22.5 per cent); coffee ($3.14 billion, up 36.2 per cent); vegetables and fruits ($2.42 billion, up 35.3 per cent); rice ($2.31 billion, up 27 per cent); and shrimp ($1.43 billion, up 13.3 per cent). — VNS