Export of main agricultural products down 5.3 percent in 2019

Hanoi – The combined export value of main agricultural products was estimated at 18.5 billion USD in 2019, down 5.3 percent year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Meanwhile, export earnings from fishery products were up 2.7 percent to 8.63 billion USD, and that of main forestry products up 19.2 percent to 11.2 billion USD.

As a result, total export value of agri-forestry-fishery products in 2019 came to 41.3 billion USD, an increase of 3.2 percent from 2018.

The main export markets of Vietnam’s agri-forestry-fishery products during the year were China and Hong Kong (27.8 percent), the US (21.9 percent), the European Union (11.4 percent), ASEAN (9.8 percent) and Japan (8.7 percent).

Rice export in 2019 showed a 3.9 percent increase in volume to 6.34 million tonnes but value was down 9.7 percent to 2.79 billion USD.

Earnings from vegetable and fruit also reduced by 1.9 percent to 3.74 billion USD.

The same situation was seen in the export of coffee, with a reduction of 15.2 percent in volume to 1.59 million tonnes and a 22.4 percent decrease in value to 2.75 billion USD.

Similarly, the export of pepper bean suffered from a 5.7 percent decrease in value to 715 million USD despite an increase of 23.4 percent in volume, due to declining export prices.

However, goods signs were seen in overseas shipments of cassava and cassava products, which went up 3.2 percent to 2.5 million tonnes, bringing in 973 million USD, a rise of 1.6 percent, despite lower export prices.  

Tea export also recorded a 6.8 percent rise in volume to 136,000 tonnes and a 13.5 percent increase in value to 235 million USD thanks to higher export prices.

Meanwhile, total import value of agri-forestry-fishery products declined by 1.6 percent to 30.9 billion USD in 2019, resulting in a trade surplus of 10.4 billion USD.