Rice exports soar 70 percent in 2009

HCM City (VNA) - Rice exports have risen dramatically so far this year compared to
the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development.

Rice export volumes has increased more than 70 percent and value has climbed 80
percent since the beginning of the year, said the Vietnam Food Association (VFA).

About 235,000 tonnes of rice were exported in the first half of April, making the
total for the period under review 1.8 million tonnes, valued at 736 million USD.

Export prices for the first half of April increased to 460 USD per tonne for 5
percent broken rice and to 400 USD per tonne for 25 percent broken rice, up 5-20 USD
a tonne compared to March.

World rice prices had continued to rise slightly, said the VFA, adding that rice
exporters had signed contracts to deliver 3.65 million tonne of rice during the
first half of the year.

Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the ministry's cultivation department, said a total of 18
million tonnes of the winter-spring rice crop was expected to be harvested
nationwide.

The Mekong Delta, the country's largest rice basket, has harvested 95 percent of its
crop, with a total output of about 9.72 million tonnes.

Northern provinces are expected to have a total output of 6.5 million tonnes.

Ngoc said the average yield of the winter-spring crop was 6.5 tonnes per ha, up 300
kg a ha compared to last year's winter-spring crop.

With current domestic rice prices, rice farmers have been ensured a profit of more
than 30 percent. To avoid price fluctuation, all of the harvested rice should be
purchased by traders to keep farmers' incomes stable, according to MARD.-Enditem