Vietnam ’s rice exports set a dual record for 2010 in terms of both volume and value.

Rice is Vietnam's major export items

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s statistics showed that the country exported 6.88 million tonnes of rice worth 3.23 billion USD in 2010, up 15.4 percent and 21.2 percent in value over 2009.

Vietnam ’s traditional rice importers remained the Philippines , Malaysia and Indonesia.
In 2010, Indonesia became Vietnam ’s third biggest rice importer, whose rice imports from Vietnam rose 24 times in volume and 30-fold in value against 2009.

The rice market in 2011 is predicted to be animated and auspicious. Along with the world’s increasing demand, bad weather in numerous countries has caused a drop in food production, and this will drive up rice export price.

According to the Singapore-based Duxton fund management company’s forecast, the world rice price would triple the current one in the next 18 months.

Pham Van Bay, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA), said it is difficult to see a decline in rice price due to a big demand for the grain in the world in early year. The trend would keep, even lift the price higher.

In addition to the demand-supply element, Bay said the production costs of maize, bean and wheat in the world increased sharply over the past half-year, triggered by higher prices of input materials like fertiliser. Rice is not beyond this law of nature.

In its report released in late November, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation predicted rice volume traded in the world in 2011 would drop by 2 percent to 30.5 million tonnes because of the short supply from main rice exporters, including Vietnam .

According to the VFA official, to maintain the position of the world’s main rice exporter, Vietnam needs to step up the stockpile system, preventing a hasty export due to lack of storage.

The VFA unveiled its plan to export 1.3 million tonnes of rice in the first quarter of this year at its monthly meeting in late November.