Vietnam would continue to be world’s second largest rice exporter: US department

According to the department, Vietnam will export 6.4 million tonnes of rice in 2011, an increase of 233,000 tonnes compared the volume recorded in the previous year.

It is likely that India will remain the largest rice exporter in the world, with 15.5 million tonnes rice shipped abroad this year. Thailand will rank third with an estimated export volume of 6.1 million tonnes.

Last year, Vietnam shipped abroad 6.15 million tonnes of rice worth US$3.07 billion, down 3.5% in volume but up 9.3% in value year-on-year.

Statistics show that in the first four months of this year, the country exported 1.89 million tonnes of rice, down 10.8% in volume but up 1.2% in value over the same period last year.

The Vietnam Food Association said Vietnam’s rice export structure has shifted towards quality types with higher prices and added values.