According to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of June 2024, Vietnam harvested 3.48 million hectares of rice, a 0.5% increase over the same period last year. The average yield was 67.1 quintals per hectare, an increase of 0.7 quintals per hectare, with the total output reaching 23.3 million tons, up 1.6%.

During this period, Vietnam exported 4.68 million tons of rice, earning 2.98 billion USD. Compared to the same period in 2023, rice exports increased by 10.4% in volume and 32% in value due to higher export prices.

Data from the Vietnam Food Association on June 26 indicated that the export price of 5% broken rice was 657 USD per ton, and 25% broken rice was priced at 543 USD per ton.

In the first half of this year, rice ranked as the fifth-largest export item in the agricultural sector (following wood and wood products, seafood, vegetables, and coffee) and was one of the items with a high growth rate.

The report also highlighted that rice was among the top five agricultural products with a high trade surplus, reaching 2.31 billion USD, an increase of 27% over the same period last year. This means that in the first half of the year alone, Vietnam spent approximately 670 million USD on rice imports.

In 2023, Vietnam spent nearly 860 million USD importing rice from other countries, primarily from Cambodia and India.

Experts and businesses noted that while Vietnam's rice production meets consumer demand, ensures food security, and has a large surplus for export, the country still imports certain rice products for production, processing, and animal feed purposes.

Tam An