Rice harvest in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang. — VNA/VNS

HANOI: Vietnam’s rice exports in the first 11 months of 2023 hit a record high since 1989, Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday (Dec 6).

According to the country’s General Statistics Office, Vietnam exported nearly 7.8 million tonnes of rice with a turnover of US$4.4 billion from January to November.

Many experts forecasted that the South-East Asian country’s rice exports would reach 8 million tonnes with a total value of $4.6 billion in 2023, surpassing the target of 7 million tonnes set at the beginning of this year.

The prices of Vietnamese export rice have also recently soared to a new record.

According to the Vietnam Food Association, in the last two weeks, Vietnamese rice was sold at $663 dollars per tonne, higher than Thai rice (632 dollars per tonne) and Pakistan’s rice (600 dollars per tonne).

Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said despite high prices, Vietnamese rice is welcomed by importers thanks to its quality, particularly its freshness. Vietnamese rice products are exported immediately after being harvested.

Last week, Vietnam’s Ong Cua ST25 rice won the first prize at the World’s Best Rice 2023 competition. – Xinhua

Published Date: December 6, 2023