Vietnam Rice Exports May Rise By Five Percent

A bumper crop and good overseas demand are expected to support Vietnam's rice exports this year, with the total volume forecast at up to 5 million MT or 5 percent above last year, an industry official said.

Vietnam, the world's second-largest rice exporter after Thailand, initially lowered its grain shipment target for 2007 to between 4 million and 4.5 million MT, from 4.75 million MT sold in 2006 when pests damaged part of its crop.