Hanoi (VNA) - The export value ofagro-forestry-aquatic products reached 20.45 billion USD in the first sevenmonths of this year, up 14.7 percent against the same period last year, reportedto the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Key farm produce raked in 10.89 billion USD (up 18 percent) while aquaticproducts earned 4.31 billion USD (up 17.5 percent) and forestry productsbrought home 4.41 billion USD (up 10.8 percent).

Vietnam shipped 3.3 million tonnes of rice worth 1.5billion USD abroad, up 15.7 percent in volume and 13.7 percent in value comparedto the Jan-July period of 2016.

Meanwhile, coffee and cashew nut exports maintainedstable growth in the period thanks to higher prices. The country earned 2.12billion USD from exporting 937,000 tonnes of coffee and 1.83 billion USD fromshipping 186,000 tonnes of cashew nuts.

Vegetable and fruit exports witnessed ayear-on-year rise of 50 percent in export value to 2.03 billion USD inthe reviewed period.

The export value of rubber also recorded a strongsurge, reaching 1.13 billion USD, 59 percent higher than that in the sameperiod last year.

Meanwhile, pepper export turnover suffered an 18percent fall to 800 million USD due to a 30 percent drop in prices-VNA