Hanoi (VNA) – Theagro-forestry-fishery sector raked in 3.13 billion USD from exports in August,raising the total value in the first eight months of this year to 25.7 billionUSD, up 7.3 percent year-on-year.

According to the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development, the best performers in the period included rice, fruitand vegetables, key forestry products and seafood.

Exports to major markets like theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Republic of Korea (RoK),China, the US and Japan increased significantly over the past eight months.

The country exported about 4.4 milliontonnes of rice worth 2.2 million USD between January-August, up 6.8 percent involume and 22.1 percent in value from the same period last year. In Augustalone, 441,000 tonnes valued at 209 million USD was shipped abroad.

China remained Vietnam’s largest riceimporter, making up 24.7 percent of the market share.

Strong growth in rice export was also seenin other markets like Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, Malaysia, Ivory Coastand the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Vietnam earned 5.6 billion USD from theexport of wood and timber products, representing a year-on-year rise of 12.6percent. The US, China, Japan and the RoK were the country’s major markets inthis sector.

During the reviewed period, the countryexported 5.5 billion USD worth of aquatic products, up 5.3 percent from thecorresponding time last year, mostly to the US, Japan, China, and the RoK.

Fruit and vegetable exports posted 2.7billion USD, up 14.1 percent year-on-year.

However, other key agricultural productslike pepper, coffee and rubber saw export value decrease in the past eightmonths.

The ministry said import turnover of thesector also expanded by 9.2 percent to 20.72 billion USD, with strongest growthin Urea, corn, seafood, wheat, fruit and vegetables, cattle feed andmaterials.-VNA