Vietnam could up rice exports to 5 million MT this year if the harvest is good, the Ministry of Trade has said. 
It had earlier capped the export at 4.5 million MT because of pest infestations in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam's main rice-growing region, but said now the problem was not as bad as initially feared.

The ministry said companies had so far signed contracts to export 3.5 million MT. Vietnam, the second-biggest rice exporter after Thailand, exported 4.75 MT last year. The average export price of rice is $40 PMT higher this year. Its 5% broken rice has fetched $600 PMT, the same as Thailand’s.