Agricultural exports fetch nearly US$20 billion

Agricultural exports fetch nearly US$20 billion in the first half of 2019.

The information was released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development during a June 17 meeting held to highlight the achievements which the agricultural industry reaped in the six-month period.

Of the exports, the shipment of agricultural products fell by 8.8 per cent on year, whilst aquatic and forestry products increased by 0.7 per cent and 21.2 per cent, respectively, Vietnam Economic Times reported.

The agricultural industry made stringent efforts to overcome difficulties it faced during the six-month period, heighten the efficiency of restructuring cultivation and animal husbandry, and leverage resources for the production, processing, and distribution of agricultural products.

As a result, the value of agricultural production, including cultivation and husbandry, rose slightly by 1.68 per cent while the value of forestry production increased by 4.53 per cent.

Meanwhile, the output of fisheries totaled 3.78 million tons, representing an annual rise of 6.2 per cent. Of this, the exploitation amounted to 1.88 million tons, a surge of 5.4 per cent, while local aquaculture jumped by 7 per cent to reach 1.92 million tons.

The structure of goods for both domestic consumption and export saw an increase in the proportions of aquatic products, fruit and vegetables, and high-quality exports, the ministry noted.