Rice is loaded at Sai Gon Port in HCM City for export. The price of Vietnamese rice exports increased by 4.61 per cent to reach $460.09 per tonne against the same period last year, while global prices fell. — VNA/VNS Photo Dinh Hue

HA NOI (Biz Hub)  — The value of agricultural and seafood product exports rose by 12.1 per cent year-on-year in the first 11 months of this year to reach US$28.2 billion.

This figure includes $2.66 billion gained this month, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The ministry noted that the volume of rice exports fell by 2.7 per cent to stand at 6 million tonnes, but the earnings rose by 1.9 per cent to stand at $2.79 billion. China remained Viet Nam's largest rice market, accounting for 31.1 per cent of the total export volume, followed by the Philippines.

The prices of Vietnamese rice exports increased by 4.61 per cent to reach $460.09 per tonne against the same period last year, while the world prices fell, the ministry said.

In the first 11 months, the Cuu Long delta provinces exported 2.7 million tonnes of high-quality rice, accounting for 52 per cent of the total rice export volume in the region.

Pepper exports earned $1.16 billion in the period, up 35.7 per cent from the same period last year. The United States, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, besides India and the Netherlands, are the leading importers of Vietnamese pepper, accounting for half of the country's export volume.

Coffee, another export staple, posted an 18 per cent increase year-on-year in export volume, with 1.56 million tonnes being shipped abroad and a 35.7 per cent rise in value, earning $3.26 billion.

However, rubber exports generated only $1.62 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 27 per cent for a volume of 954,000 tonnes, up 0.5 per cent compared with 2013.

This was due to the fall in the global rubber prices, the ministry said, adding that demand had dropped in some important rubber markets such as China and Malaysia.

In the reviewed period, the value of seafood exports reached $7.22 billion, an increase of 19.9 per cent, including $666 million earned in November.

Valued at $1.56 billion, the United States remained the largest export market for Vietnamese seafood products. This was almost 20 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Meanwhile, seafood exports to other key markets, such as Japan, South Korea and China, also grew in the first 11 months.

The ministry also reported that the export value of forestry products went up by 13 per cent to stand at $5.88 billion.

The export value of forestry products to the United States and Japan increased by 14.17 per cent and 19.47 per cent respectively, but reduced by 9.37 per cent to China. — VNS