There are good prospects ahead for Vietnamese farm products, especially coffee, rice, and fruit and vegetables, to be shipped to the markets throughout Southeast Asia ahead in the second half of the year, according to industry insiders.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports that the initial five months of the year saw Vietnamese agricultural exports to Asia record growth exceeding 8%, of which the ASEAN market rose by 27% over the same period from last year.

Indonesia for instance imported nearly 400,000 tonnes of Vietnamese rice, up 15 times year on year. For the entirety of the ASEAN region, rice exports grew by 54% compared to the same period from last year. The export of other agricultural products such as coffee or vegetables also recorded impressive double-digit growth.

“The Government, ministries, and agencies all focus on trade promotion and branding for Vietnamese agricultural products. Businesses and associated chains are also very conscious of brand development and promotion. It is one of the fundamental foundations for Vietnamese rice and some other more agricultural products to enter the regional market,” says Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuc, executive member of the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA).

Along with this, Pham Thanh Binh, CEO of Trung An Rice, expresses his optimism about the future Vietnamese rice exports, despite enduring global market fluctuations.

“Food supply in the world has been disrupted due to food shortages which creates a great chance for the Vietnamese rice industry,” notes Binh.

According to experts, Southeast Asian countries have increased the import of Vietnamese agricultural products in recent times due to prolonged droughts caused by the return of the El Nino phenomenon. The industry and trade sector is therefore working closely alongside the agricultural sector as it seeks to cope with unstable weather conditions.

“Right from the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, food associations and businesses to anticipate adverse weather and its impact on the harvest and processing of rice in the country, thereby developing plans to ensure national food security, and at the same time effectively exploiting markets in great demand of Vietnamese rice,” says Tran Quang Huy, head of the Asia - Africa Market Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Ministry anticipates that countries in Southeast Asia and elsewhere globally are likely to increase their imports of Vietnamese agricultural products moving forward. They have therefore encouraged businesses to meet the quality and packaging requirements of importers in order to promote exports, whilst simultaneously making calculations to ensure national food security.

VOV