Agro, fishery exports see double-digit growth

By Hong Chau May 11, 2022 | 09:30 pm PT

Coffee harvested in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai in November 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Tran Hoa

Export earnings from some agricultural and fishery products rose by double digits in the first four months as their prices reached record levels.

They included items like coffee, shrimp, shark catfish, and black pepper, according to a report by Agrotrade Vietnam.

Coffee exports led, with shipments of 752,000 tons fetching US$1.68 billion, up 28.4 percent in volume but 59.4 percent in value as average prices jumped by 25 percent.

It was followed by shrimp and catfish, whose exports rose by 38.6 percent to $1.34 billion and 89.4 percent to $894 million.

Global prices have been scaling new peaks in recent months, driving export value, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said.

Frozen pangasius filet, for example, topped $4.5 a kilogram, surpassing the previous peak reached in 2019.

Black pepper exports fell by 15.5 percent year-on-year in volume terms, but increased by around 30 percent in value to $367 million as global prices jumped by 59.6 percent to $4,664 a ton.

Agrotrade Vietnam forecast the prices of those items to rise further on high demand, especially in China and the U.S.

China has stepped up seafood imports following lockdowns in many cities, which have disrupted fishing activities.

Coffee prices are expected to rise due to falling supply, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying global output will decline by 4.8 percent this year.