Export turnover of agro-forestry-aquatic products hit 2.97 billion USD in June, bringing the six-month figure to 17.1 billion USD, up 13.1 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

During the first half of the year, farm produce export earnings were estimated at 9.1 billion USD, up 15.4 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, revenues from aquatic and forestry product shipments reached 3.5 billion USD and 3.8 billion USD, respective increases of 14.1 percent and 12.8 percent.

Vietnam exported 413,000 tonnes of rice worth 182 million USD in June, raising the six-month volume and value to 2.8 million tonnes and 1.2 billion USD, up 6.3 percent and 4.9 percent, respectively. China remained the top importer of rice from Vietnam.

Pepper exports were estimated at 23,000 tonnes in June, bringing home 110 million USD. Over the first six months, the volume rose 18.3 percent to 126,000 tonnes but the value was down 16.8 percent to 714 million USD.

Meanwhile, the country earned 259 million USD from selling 109,000 tonnes of coffee in June. The six-month volume and value were 817,000 tonnes and 1.86 billion USD, down 16.7 percent and up 9.5 percent, respectively. Germany and the US remained the largest importers of Vietnamese coffee.

During the January-June period, wood and wooden furniture raked in 3.6 billion USD, or 13.2 percent higher than the same period last year, mostly sold to the US, China and Japan.

Aquatic products worth 3.5 billion USD have been shipped abroad since the beginning of this year, predominantly to the US, Japan, China and the RoK, marking a 14.1 percent rise.

The ministry also reported that Vietnam spent 2.94 billion USD on importing agro-forestry-aquatic products, pushing the six-month figure to 14.06 billion USD, up 25.4 percent.

Source: VNA. Date: 2017-06-30