Container trucks carry aromatic rice exported by Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC to a port on January 13. This is the first batch of Vietnamese rice to be shipped overseas in 2021 – PHOTO: VNA

HCMC – Trung An Hi-tech Agriculture JSC has exported 1,600 tons of aromatic rice to Singapore and Malaysia, Vietnam’s first batch of rice to be shipped overseas in 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on January 13.

The Can Tho City-based company shipped 450 tons of Jasmine 85 rice to the Singaporean market at US$680 per ton and 1,150 tons of Huong Lai rice worth US$750 per ton to buyers in Malaysia, reported Lao Dong newspaper.

This is a significant event after Vietnam signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) on November 15 last year. RCEP is a free trade agreement (FTA) between the ASEAN and five countries that have signed individual FTAs with the bloc.

According to Pham Thai Binh, general director of Trung An Company, Malaysia and Singapore are two of the 10 largest buyers of Vietnamese rice.

Speaking at an event on January 13 to announce the export of the first batch of rice, Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, lauded the efforts that Trung An and other local rice exporters have made to offer high-quality agricultural products to markets at home and abroad.

Doanh also said that the ministry always supports businesses and localities in developing production linkage chains to create quality and safe products.