Entering 2021, export activities have faced many difficulties and challenges caused by the Covid-19 epidemic. Especially in July and August, the fourth wave of Covid-19 epidemic broke out in many localities, disrupting the supply-consumption chains and directly affecting the production and export situation of the whole country. water. However, in the first 8 months of 2021, Vietnam's agricultural exports (including 8 main products are vegetables, cashew nuts, pepper, tea, coffee, rice, cassava and cassava and rubber products. ) still grew quite well, many export agricultural products increased in both quantity and export value.

Specifically, in the first eight months of 2021, the export turnover of agricultural products reached US$12.4 billion, up 14.2%, of which six items with increased export value were: Vegetables and fruits with 2.5. billion USD, up 11.8%; cashew nuts reached 2.3 billion USD, up 15.1% (increasing volume 19.2%); coffee reached 2 billion USD, up 1.1% (the volume decreased by 6.9% but due to the increase in export price, the export value increased); rubber reached 1.9 billion USD, up 61.4% (increased volume by 23.3%); cassava and cassava products reached USD 776 million, up 28.4% (increased volume of 13.4%); pepper reached $666 million, up 50.2% (although the volume decreased by 0.8%, the export value still increased due to the increase in export prices). There were only 2 items with a decrease in export value: Rice reached 2.1 billion USD, down 6.8% (the volume decreased by 14.8%); tea reached 133 million USD, down 1.6% (volume decreased by 6%).

TOTAL EXPORTS

AND AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT 8 MONTHS, 2021

Thousand tons; Million dollars

If compared with the increase of 13.9% in the first 6 months, the increase in export value of 8 months over the same period increased by 0.3 percentage points. In which: Pepper increased by 9.7 percentage points; coffee increased by 5.6 percentage points; cashews increased by 4 percentage points. In addition, there were a number of decreased items: Rice decreased by 2.1 percentage points; cassava and cassava products decreased by 2.1 percentage points; vegetables and fruits decreased by 5.9 percentage points; tea decreased by 6 percentage points; rubber down 18.5 percentage points. That shows that although the 4th wave of Covid-19 epidemic has affected many aspects of the economy, the export of agricultural products still maintained a good increase.

Despite being affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, the export value of fruit and vegetable products in the first eight months of 2021 still reached the highest with $2.5 billion, up 11.8% over the same period last year. With this momentum, this year's fruit and vegetable exports will have a strong recovery, expected to reach from $3.6 billion to $4 billion. Some products with high export volume are: Rubber by 23.3%; cashew nuts up 19.2%; cassava and cassava products increased by 13.4%. Some other items with high export value are: Rubber is the commodity with the highest increase in export value, up 61.4%; followed by pepper with an increase of 50.2%; cassava and cassava products increased by 28.4%; cashew nuts increased by 15.1%. The export value of many agricultural products in the first eight months of 2021 increased over the same period last year not only due to an increase in volume but also to an increase in export prices.

In terms of the market, the export value of Vietnamese agricultural products kept increasing because the main export markets were still maintained. By country, in the first eight months of 2021, China is the largest importer of Vietnam's agricultural products with $4.3 billion (US$3.3 billion in the same period in 2020); followed by the United States with 1.2 billion USD (the same period in 2020 reached 1.1 billion USD); The Philippines ranked third with 914 million USD (the same period in 2020 was 928 million USD); Germany reached 458 million USD (the same period in 2020 reached 404 million USD); The Netherlands reached 363 million USD (equivalent to 362 million USD in the same period in 2020). By continent, Asia leads with a total export value of 7.1 billion USD, (the same period in 2020 reached 6 billion USD); followed by the European market with 2 billion USD (the same period in 2020 reached 1.8 billion USD); America ranked third with 1.4 billion USD (the same period in 2020 reached 1.2 billion USD); Africa reached 544 million USD (the same period in 2020 reached 524 million USD); Australia reached 165 million USD (the same period in 2020 reached 158 million USD). Particularly, exports to ASEAN reached nearly 1.5 billion USD (lower than the same period in 2020 reached 1.6 billion USD); to the EU market (27 countries, excluding the UK) reached 1.5 billion USD (the same period in 2020 reached 1.4 billion USD).

Although still achieving good growth in the first eight months of 2021, Vietnam's agricultural exports still face many difficulties and challenges. It is forecasted that from now until the end of the year, the Covid-19 epidemic will continue to affect trade, transportation, goods and directly affect the production and processing of agricultural products for export. Implementing social distancing, many businesses have to increase costs to carry out "3-on-the-spot" production. Besides the shortage of containers, the freight for export goods is constantly increasing. Shipping costs to markets such as the US and Europe have increased 2 to 3 times in the past year and are continuing to increase sharply.

In order to remove difficulties in production and business, and respond to the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to closely coordinate with ministries, branches and localities to adjust the plan. production, seasonal structure suitable to the weather situation and market demand; minimize damage caused by diseases on crops and livestock, thereby ensuring a stable supply of agricultural products. At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Transport must have solutions to remove problems in freight as well as transportation and warehousing charges. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance and banks are requested to support enterprises and cooperatives with capital for production and business. Deploying preferential policies on loan interest for logistics enterprises, processing and preserving agricultural products to promptly support logistics, circulation, cold storage services, preservation of agricultural, forestry and fishery products during the period affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. The Ministry of Industry and Trade needs to closely coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance (the General Department of Customs), and the People's Committees of border provinces to direct quarantine and customs stations to strengthen measures to support operations. border trade activities, facilitate customs clearance procedures, and prevent stagnation of goods in border provinces with China.