Agricultural products for export: Fruits, vegetables reach peak, and cassava and rice drop drastically

The chart of export turnover value of the 9 key commodities group in the field of agriculture (until November 15, 2016), unit “$US million”. Chart by Thai Binh

Impression on fruits and vegetables and cashews

In the exported category group in agriculture, the commodity that continue to maintain the first rank of export is fishery products with a turnover of $US 6.058 billion (according to the update information of the General Department of Customs until November 15), an increase of $US 381 million compared to the same period of 2015.

However, the category in agriculture which has an impressive increase is fruits and vegetables with $US 2.83 billion, with the maximum increased number of $US 485 million, equivalent to over 30% compared to the same period of 2015.

This is one of the export categories “$US billion” which have the highest growth rate of the country. With the turnover value above, fruits and vegetables increase from fifth rank to the fourth in the key export agricultural product category of the country.

Besides the 2 categories mentioned above, cashews and coffee are also impressive agricultural products categories. In which, cashews reached $US 2.464 billion of turnover value, up $US 866 million compared to the same period of 2015. The average value of this key commodity group also increased significantly compared to the same period last year. Especially, the average price of cashews for export reached $US 8.078 /ton, up nearly 11% compared to the same period ($US 7,285 /ton).

On November, 28, 2016 discussing with the correspondent of the Customs Newspaper, Mr. Dang Hoang Giang the Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Cashew Association appraised the situation of cashew exporting in this year as bright. The average price is considered as the highest price in the history of the Cashew sector.

“This year’s cashew export target reached $US 2.5 billion, up $US 200 million compared to the same period of 2015. But with the current result the export will exceed the target”-Mr Dang Hoang Giang stressed.

Mr. Giang further shared, currently the products of the Vietnam Cashew Sector are present in more than 90 countries and territories. The largest market is USA, followed by EU, China, etc.

Although coffee products increased strongly in value and volume, the average price was lower than the same period last year (due to the volume was higher - by the reporter). Especially, the volume of the coffee for export reached 1.568 million tons, up nearly 38.8% while the value reached $US 2.866 billion, up 25.4%. Hence, the export average price only reached $US 1,827 /ton, in the same period reached $US 2,022 /ton.

Cassava hardly reach revenue of “$US billion ”

For many years, rice has always been seen as the key category for export of the country and together with the fishery products at the 2nd leading rank of export of agricultural, forestry and fisheries products. Until the first half of November, 2015, rice still was at the second rank of export agricultural with the turnover value reached $US 2.465 billion.

But until November 15, 2016, the turnover value of rice dropped $US 504 million compared to the same period the last year, only reached $US 1.961 billion. This key category fell to the fifth rank of the key agricultural products categories, not only behind the fishery product but also lower than fruits and vegetables, cashews, coffee.

Perhaps the only consolation for rice currently is the average export price was higher than the same period of 2015, with $US 449/ton, in while the last year reached $US 425/ton.

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Along with rice, cassava and cassava products also declined dramatically on the turnover value compared to the same period of 2015 from $US 1.44 billion (until November 15,2015) dropped $US 853 million and left off the list of agricultural products export category whose revenue reached “$US billion”.

The cassava and cassava products not only decreased in the total of turnover value but also the average export prices fell sharply to $US 40 /ton (the same period of 2015 reached $US 322 /ton and reached only $US 272 /ton in 2016).