Agro-forestry-fisheries exports near $34 bln in H1

Vietnam’s agro-forestry-fisheries exports hit $33.84 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 15.5% increase year-on-year.

Trade surplus of the sector reached $9.83 billion, up 16.5%, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien said at the ministry’s press briefing on Thursday.

According to the Deputy Minister, given these results, coupled with the trend of accelerating exports towards year-end, the total export value for 2025 may reach $67 billion.

Tran Gia Long, deputy director of the ministry’s planning and finance department, reported that exports of agricultural products in the six months totalled $18.46 billion, an increase of 17.8% over the previous year.

Livestock product exports were valued at $264.4 million, up 10.1%. Exports of fisheries products reached $5.16 billion, up 16.9%, while forestry exports brought in $8.82 billion, a rise of 9.3%.

Meanwhile, exports of agricultural production inputs amounted to $1.13 billion, representing a substantial 23.6% growth, and salt exports reached $5.7 million, up 2.4 times from the same period last year.

Some items seeing significant export earnings thanks to rising global prices such as coffee, pepper, and cashew nuts.

Coffee exports during the first half of the year totalled 953,900 tons, bringing in $5.45 billion. This represents a 5.3% increase in volume and a dramatic 67.5% increase in value compared to the same period in 2024.

The average export price surged by 59.1%, reaching $5,708.3 per ton. The largest buyers were Germany, Italy, and Spain, while exports to Mexico grew sharply, increasing by more than 71 times year-on-year.

Rubber exports reached 680,100 tons, valued at $1.27 billion. Although volume declined by 6.5%, the overall value rose by 14.4%, due to a 22.4% increase in the average export price, which stood at $1,864.7 per ton.

China remained the largest export market, accounting for 70% of total shipments, while Malaysia recorded the strongest growth, with imports from Vietnam increasing by more than 4.6 times.

Cashew nut exports totalled 346,800 tons, with a total value of $2.36 billion. Although the quantity decreased by 2.7%, the export value rose by 20.4%, driven by a 23.8% increase in average price, reaching $6,805.4 per ton.

Major markets included China, the United States, and the Netherlands, while exports to the United Arab Emirates recorded the most robust growth, rising by 50.4%.

In contrast, rice and fruit and vegetable exports, both major staples of Vietnam’s export economy, saw declines in value.

In the first six months of 2025, rice exports reached 4.9 million tonnes, bringing in $2.54 billion. While volume increased by 7.6%, total value dropped by 12.2%, due to an 18.4% decrease in average export price, now standing at $517.5 per ton.

The Philippines accounted for 43.4% of the export market. Bangladesh posted an exceptional increase in demand, rising by more than 293 times. Exports to Malaysia dropped significantly, falling by 54.7%.

Fruit and vegetable exports brought in $3.05 billion, down 8.4% from the same period last year. Although China remained the largest market with a 48.2% share, exports to this market fell by 35.1%. In contrast, the United States saw a significant rise in demand, with exports increasing by 65.2%.

Long emphasized the ministry's commitment to developing Vietnam's agricultural sector through a value chain model that boosts added value, competitiveness, and sustainable market growth. This includes enhancing production, processing, and branding, while implementing new laws and policies to resolve supply chain issues and improve quality standards.

Key strategies involve strict quality control, full product traceability, and aligning with international market requirements to strengthen the global image of Vietnamese agriculture.

The ministry is also diversifying export markets, especially focusing on China, the EU, and Japan, and improving domestic sales and market research to support sectoral and national development.