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| Loading and unloading rice for export through Saigon port (Photo: VNA) |
On July 19, at the meeting to review the market development work in the first 6 months of 2023 and deploy the key tasks in the last months of the year of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep, Head of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development, said that besides the decline in exports of forestry and fishery products at a relatively high rate of 28.2% and 27.4%, respectively, businesses have made good use of opportunity to increase exports to China and other markets; therefore, rice and vegetable exports saw sudden increases of 34.7% and 64.2%, respectively.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association, said that the demand for rice in some countries will increase in the coming time, but it is difficult to meet the demand. Commodity rice output is only 6.5 million tons, but so far, 4.5 million tons have been exported. Due to the low supply situation, businesses do not dare to sign contracts in large quantities.
For vegetables and fruits, in the last 6 months of the year, export growth is forecasted to be stable if businesses focus on quality, improve designs, and better traceability to meet market standards and regulations, said Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep.
Exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the Chinese market in the first half of the year grew quite well (7.7%), with items that increased sharply in value being vegetables, rice, cashew nuts and tea. It is forecasted that from now until the end of the year, the export of agricultural products to this market will maintain slight growth if some commodity groups such as vegetables and fruits and rice still maintain growth. Commodities with strong decline in the first 6 months of the year such as wood, seafood, and cassava may recover slightly in the last 3 months of the year.
With this market, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Tiep said he would deploy the results of the working trip by a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Guangxi and Yunnan provinces (China). Accordingly, it will focus on signing a Memorandum of Understanding in agricultural development and trade in agriculture, forestry and fishery between Vietnam and the provinces of Guangxi and Yunnan (China) in September; and consider coordinating with the Vietnam Trade Office in Nanning (China) to organize the connection and promote the consumption of agricultural products.
It will also promote the establishment of "Vietnam - Guangxi Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Business Association" and "Vietnam - Yunnan Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Business Association". The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also promotes techniques to soon sign a Protocol with the General Administration of Customs of China on food safety, quarantine and inspection requirements for imported and manufactured aquatic products between Vietnam and China.
The export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to the ASEAN market also saw good growth (12.8%) compared to the same period in 2022. Typically, the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products to Indonesia grew significantly (300, 3%) thanks to rice and coffee.
Looking at seafood products, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, said that the export to the Asian market may be higher than that to Europe and the United States.
Contrary to the optimism of China and ASEAN markets, exports to the US, EU and Japan markets still dropped sharply. Exports to the US market decreased by 32.9% from the same period in 2022. Of the 10 key export items, only coffee export grew.
Consumption in the US market has recovered but is still slow, commodity groups with large export market shares such as wood and seafood may have a slight increase in demand in the last 3 months of the year. The US returned to be Vietnam's largest seafood export market in May 2023, a good sign from this market.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that the ministry will focus on implementing trade promotion activities, connecting and developing markets to promote the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products, mainly into 3 major markets: China, the US and Japan./.