Việt Nam gains cassava export growth in 2020 despite COVID-19

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam gained growth in the export of cassava chips and cassava-made products in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development.

Việt Nam's export of cassava chips and cassava-made products in December 2020 alone was estimated at 330,000 tonnes. Photo congthuong

Exports last year reached 2.76 million tonnes, earning US$989 million, an increase of 9 per cent in volume and 2.4 per cent in value compared to 2019. However, the average export price of those products reduced by 6 per cent to $358.3 per tonne year on year.

In December alone an estimated 330,000 tonnes with a value of $118 million were exported.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic did cause problems for the cassava production industry according to the department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, but it was still one of the few agricultural products with a positive growth in export value.

The exports of cassava chips in 2020 reached 640,000 tonnes, earning $139 million, up 60 per cent in volume and 75 per cent in value over the same period last year. The average export price for this product reached $217 per tonne, up 10 per cent.

Tapioca export was estimated at 2.1 million tonnes with a value of $850 million, down 1 per cent in volume and 4 per cent in value over the same period in 2019. Its average export price reached $401 per tonne, down 4 per cent.

According to the department, China was the largest export market with the total volume of cassava chips and cassava-made products reaching 1.9 million tonnes, earning $772 million. That's an increase of 11.5 per cent in volume and 2.7 per cent in value compared to 2019.

Taiwan and Malaysia were also two other largest export markets of Vietnamese cassava with the growth in export value of 15 per cent and 3 per cent year on year, respectively, in the first 11 months of 2020.

In China market, Việt Nam is currently the second largest supplier of both cassava chips and tapioca, according to China’s General Department of Customs.