HÀ NỘI — The Central Highlands provinces achieved the highest export turnover ever this year of more than US$2.66 billion in 2017. The figure is equal to nearly 102 per cent of the year’s plan and 22.71 per cent higher than the level of 2016.

According to the Central Highlands Steering Committee’s Standing Board, at present, export commodities in the Central Highlands provinces are increasingly diversified, contributing to the increase in export turnover.

The main export products of the Central Highlands provinces include coffee, pepper, rubber and alumin, as well as honey, tapioca starch, cashew nuts, vegetables and flowers.

The significant achievement is also attributed to the provinces and businesses’ efforts in boosting trade promotion and expanding direct sales channels to large customers and final consumers in many countries.

However, according to the Standing Board of the Central Highlands’ Steering Committee, the export commodities are still mainly raw materials, therefore, the value added is low and economic efficiency is not high.

Specifically, Đắk Lắk Province had the highest export turnover with over $575 million, achieving 100.9 per cent of the year’s plan and a year-on-year increase of 4.55 per cent. 

Although Đắk Lắk Province is considered the key coffee and pepper supplier region of the country, the provincial annual export is only some 215,000 tonnes of coffee beans, over 4,800 tonnes of pepper and more than 5,000 tonnes of rubber latex. 

The Central Highlands provinces also encouraged domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in the construction of processing facilities to increase the added value of coffee products in particular and other key farm produce for export in general. — VNS