Vietnam's export turnover amounted to US$8.6 billion from agricultural, forestry and fisheries products in the first half of this year, an increase of 13.1% over the same period last year.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Diep Kinh Tan said agricultural products were selling well thanks to the recovery of the export market and support from government policies.

This enabled farmers and enterprises to get a much better deal. Ngoc added that though the country had suffered from fierce heat and pests, agricultural productivity kept rising.

MARD estimates that central Vietnam could lose VND5-6 trillion (US$260-312 million) from the drought. Minister Cao Duc Phat has urged localities to grow crops that better suited the hot weather.

On the other hand, the continued spread of blue-ear disease among pigs was also up for review at MARD's six monthly review meeting. Deputy Director Nguyen Thanh Son of the Husbandry Department said blue-ear disease had killed about 100,000 pigs. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of pork were left unsold in the market.

Son said Vietnam had to import 60,000 tonnes of pork from Taiwan and China to meet demand for clean meat. He said pig raising was a traditional and important activity for Vietnamese farmers, who raised 75-81% of pork used domestically. He suggested the state give vaccine to pig farmers in outbreak areas, and support breeding so disease-free herds could be developed.

Deputy Minister Tan said that as Vietnam had a US$16-16.5 billion agricultural target for this year, which is US$1 billion more than last year, the farm industry should also seek more markets.

The industry should also build up distribution networks for fisheries products in foreign markets and actively get involved in trading.