Loading rice for export (Photo: VNA)

This is the highest growth rate among key agricultural product groups.

Some other agricultural products also posted higher export value than the same period last year such as fruits and vegetables (up 19.4%), cashew nuts (3.4%), and coffee (2.5%).

In the first three months, the Philippines was Vietnam's largest rice importer. Among 15 largest rice export markets, Indonesia recorded the strongest increase in value, up by 177 times.

According to the Ministry, China, the US, and Japan continue to be the three largest import markets of Vietnam's agricultural, forestry and fishery products.