Vietnam agricultural exports rise 16% in January

Vietnam earned US$1.16 billion from agro-forestry and seafood exports in January, a rise of 16% compared with the same period last year.

Increased earnings have been attributed to a rise in global prices.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry (MARD), the total export value included US$636 million from farming product, US$235 million from fisheries products and another US$235 million from forestry products.

This year, the ministry hopes the export value of agro-forestry and seafood products will reach US$16 billion, an increase of 15.4% over 2009.

In the first month of the year, the country imported fertiliser worth US$43 million and milk products worth US$6 million.

MARD said the value of agricultural, forestry and aquatic exports exceeded the yearly target last year. The export value in 2009 reached US$15.3 billion - US$1.3 billion above the yearly target but lower than the US$16.52 billion export value in 2008.