Agricultural exports only increase by $US 200 million in 5 years

From the export figures of about $US 14.9 billion in 2012, the value of agricultural exports plunged again and slightly up only about $US 15.1 billion in 2016 and up $US 200 million compared to 5 years ago.

The chart of agricultural export turnover in 2012-2016. Chart: T.B

This is remarkable information about the agricultural export activity in the recent 5 years (2012-2016), which has just been announced by the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Accordingly, the figures of agricultural export, which are collected from export value of 9 key commodities including: fruits, vegetables, cashew nuts, coffee, tea, pepper, rice, and rubber, cassava and cassava products.

In the past 5 years, while the total of exports turnover still reached a relatively high growth (average 12.8% per year), the exports of agricultural products were difficult, the average increased by only 2.4% per year. This makes the proportion of agricultural exports decreased from 13% in 2012 to nearly 8.6% in 2016 of the total of the country’s export turnover.

Particularly, in the past 5 years, agricultural exports constantly fluctuate and are unstable. Specifically, agricultural exports reached $US 14.9 billion in 2012, and reduced to $US13.1 billion in 2013, and increased to $US 14.3 billion in 2014, and fell again to $US 14 billion in 2015 and rose to $US 15.1 billion in 2016.

In the large agricultural export groups, fruits and vegetables are commodity groups which are in good and stable growth. Compared to 2012, the export turnover of this group had a triple increase, reaching $US 2.46 billion and was the commodity which has the third largest turnover among export of agricultural products of Vietnam in 2016.

Besides, export of pepper and cashew nuts also reached a relatively high growth with the average growth of over 14% per year in the period 2012-2016.

The remaining commodity groups were low, even less than the turnover achieved in 2012, such as coffee, tea, rice, cassava and rubber. In particular, coffee was the agricultural commodity group with the highest export turnover in 2016, but in 2012-2016, this was the commodity which have most fluctuations due to the instability of the output, value and average unit price in each year.