RI is Vietnam's top rice market<\/p>\n
Bloomberg, Hanoi<\/p>\n
Indonesia took over from Iraq as the top market for Vietnamese
\nrice last year, after war in the Middle East cut purchases from
\nwhat was Vietnam's biggest market in 2002, according to the U.S.
\nEmbassy in Hanoi.<\/p>\n
Vietnam, the world's fourth-biggest rice exporter based on
\nU.S. figures, shipped at least 837,050 metric tons to Indonesia in
\n2003, according to a report by the embassy's agricultural attache's
\noffice. The figure is up by one-eighth from Vietnam's exports to
\nIndonesia in 2002 of at least 740,900 tons, based on U.S.
\nfigures.<\/p>\n
Iraqi rice imports from Vietnam tumbled more than three-fifths
\nlast year to at least 336,520 tons, as overall Iraqi rice purchases
\nslid by two-fifths, according to U.S. figures. Vietnam was able to
\nmake up for some of the loss by boosting its share of the
\nIndonesian market at the expense of Thailand, the world's biggest
\nrice exporter.<\/p>\n
"Vietnamese rice has a price advantage over Thai rice, and
\nthat was an important factor in Vietnam's expansion in the
\nIndonesian market," said Henry Schmick, the agricultural attache
\nat the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.<\/p>\n
The average export price of 25 percent broken-grain Vietnamese
\nrice during the first 10 months of last year was US$164 per ton,
\ncompared with $175 per ton for the same quality of Thai rice,
\naccording to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
\nNations.<\/p>\n
The trend has held into early this year, according to the U.S.
\nDepartment of Agriculture.<\/p>\n
"Since last month, Thai export price quotes increased,
\nlargely due to the strengthening of the Thai baht," the U.S.
\nDepartment of Agriculture said in its January "Rice: World
\nMarkets and Trade". "In Vietnam, with virtually no exportable
\nsupplies, export price quotes have generally moved sideways over
\nthe past few weeks."<\/p>\n
Vietnam's ability to tap into the Indonesian market -- the
\nworld's biggest -- may be hampered this year by a ban on rice
\nimports that Indonesia's government put in place this month, the
\nagricultural attache's report said. The ban may last until May,
\naccording to the report.<\/p>\n
"With record production and ample domestic supplies,
\nIndonesian rice imports are estimated to drop 1 million tons to 2
\nmillion in calendar year 2004," the U.S. Department of
\nAgriculture said.<\/p>\n
The Philippines, the second-biggest market for Vietnamese rice
\nin 2003 with imports of at least 499,740 tons, will also probably
\ncut its imports this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
\nThe department estimated that overall Filipino rice imports will
\ndecline 23 percent this year, while the Philippines' National Food
\nAuthority has put the decline at a maximum of 10 percent.<\/p>\n
"Based on the temporary ban in Indonesia and market changes
\nin the Philippines, it's going to be very challenging this year for
\nVietnam to find markets," said Schmick, the U.S. agricultural
\nattache in Hanoi. "Vietnam will have to find newly emerging
\nmarkets in places like Africa."<\/p>\n
Vietnam's rice exports to Africa more than doubled last year
\nto at least 801,050 tons, the U.S. report said. Markets for
\nVietnamese rice in Africa included Senegal, Ghana, Tanzania, Angola
\nand Rwanda.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's final export figures for
\n2003 show that India and the U.S., the world's second- and third-
\nbiggest exporters in 2002, probably held off challenges from
\nVietnam to retain their positions on the global rice shipment
\ntables.<\/p>\n
Vietnamese rice exports rose 17 percent last year to 3.8
\nmillion tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The
\nU.S. agricultural attache's office, which uses different figures,
\nput Vietnam's exports last year at 3.87 million tons.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Indian exports fell 34 percent in 2003 to 4.4
\nmillion tons, while American shipments rose 17 percent to 3.85
\nmillion tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.<\/p>\n
The drop in demand from Indonesia and the Philippines will
\nprobably cut Vietnamese exports to 3.5 million tons this year, the
\nHanoi agricultural attache's report said. Even with the decline,
\nVietnam would move past both India and the U.S. in 2004, based on
\nU.S. Agriculture Department estimates.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-is-vietnams-top-rice-market-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}