A rice warehouse in Long An Province. The prices of Vietnamese rice increased strongly in the first half of this year. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

The prices of Vietnamese rice increased strongly in many foreign markets in the first half of this year, according to statistics from the General Department of Việt Nam Customs.

The average rice export price went up by over 18 per cent over the same period last year. The grain was sold at US$959 per tonne in Brunei, $868 in the US, $857 in the Netherlands, $847 in Ukraine, $836 in Iraq, and $831 in Turkey.

Most notably, in the first quarter, Việt Nam's rice exports to France increased dramatically to 18,200 tonnes worth $19.1 million .

During the period, Việt Nam shipped 46,000 tonnes to the European Union (EU), earning $41.4 million , an increase of nearly 118 per cent over the same period last year.

The Việt Nam Trade Office in the EU said Việt Nam's specialty fragrant rice varieties such as ST25, ST24, Nàng Hoa, and OM are favoured in the market thanks to their standout quality, leading to their high prices there.

In the first three months of this year, Việt Nam also exported up to 135,300 tonnes of rice to the American market, with a turnover of $94.5 million , up 299 per cent year-on-year.

In the first half, Việt Nam's rice exports reached 4.7 million tonnes, a rise of 10.4 per cent year-over-year, and its export turnover reached nearly $3 billion , up 32 per cent. — VNS