Rice is packed at Lộc Trời Group's plant in An Giang Province. Rice exports this year are likely to maintain a good rank, as the local rice industry is increasingly improving in quality. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm  Hậu

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese rice, spices, and fruit have been increasing their presence in demanding markets worldwide as local businesses are taking advantage of free trade agreements.

According to statistics of the General Department of Customs, in January, rice export reached 505,741 tonnes worth US$246.02 million, sharp increases of 45.4 per cent and 28.2 per cent against last year, respectively.

The Việt Nam Food Association (VFA) forecast that Việt Nam would ensure its 2022 overseas rice shipments at between 6-6.2 million tonnes, similar to the amount recorded in 2020 and 2021, for a revenue of over $3.2 billion.

Rice exports this year are likely to maintain a good rank, as the local rice industry is increasingly improving in quality and large domestic enterprises such as Lộc Trời, Tân Long, Intimex, and Trung An have sealed large orders of high value.

In addition to the traditional key export earner, investment in new products such as spices is also very promising.

The Vietnamese high-quality spices producer Dh Foods Joint Stock Company has signed a cooperation agreement with the US-based Heritage Beverage Company to export its products to this market. Accordingly, Heritage Beverage will become the exclusive distributor of Dh Foods' speciality spices in the US. About 10 containers of Vietnamese products are expected to leave for the US this year starting from the third quarter.

Dh Foods General Director Nguyễn Trung Dũng hoped that Heritage Beverage will help his company conquer the share of the Asian food market in the US, which is valued at up to $40 billion and serves about 30 million people of Asian origin, including three million people from Việt Nam. It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of supermarkets in this country have Asian food stalls.

Currently, Việt Nam's spices exporters are better at meeting the strict requirements of foreign partners, capable of providing value-added, good quality and safe products for many leading importers and premium distribution channels in many regions of the world.

Contributing more than $3.5 billion to Việt Nam's total export turnover in 2021, the fruit and vegetable industry also successfully delivered a series of new orders from the outset of 2022. Notably, the Westerfarm limited company and Vietnam Golden Gate Joint Stock Company exported three tonnes of mangoes to the Netherlands.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan affirmed that this year’s agro-forestry-fishery exports will reach or even exceed $50 billion, growing by 3-4 per cent. — VNS