HANOI, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam earned 2.3 billion U.S. dollars from exporting 4.2 million tons of rice in the first half of this year, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Its largest rice importers include the Philippines and China, according to the ministry.
Vietnam will export more rice to the Philippines, which could have its domestic food production affected by the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in the second half of this year, the local newspaper Vietnam News reported on Wednesday.
In the six-month period, Vietnam's rice export increased 22.2 percent in volume and rose 34.7 percent in value year on year, according to the General Statistics Office.
The Vietnamese government has recently approved a rice export scheme that aims to reduce annual shipments from 7.1 million tons last year to 4 million tons by 2030, the newspaper reported.
The country plans to diversify its export markets especially those with high demand for quality grains and those with which it has signed free trade agreements.
Vietnam is the world's third largest rice exporter after India and Thailand, the newspaper said. ■
