Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam exported 309,505 tonnes of coffee, earning approximately 1.72 billion USD in the first two months of this year, according to the Department of Customs.

Nguyen Duc Dung, Deputy General Director of the Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam (MXV), noted that coffee prices in the global market rose sharply. As a result, Vietnam's coffee export value increased by over 37% during this period, though its export volume decreased by 22%.

On the domestic market, coffee prices in the Central Highlands and southern provinces also reached a record high. On March 14, the price hit approximately 139,000 VND (5.44 USD) per kilo, which is 50% higher than the same period last year. Prices are expected to rise further in the second quarter due to a supply shortage.

In addition to coffee, Vietnam’s pepper exports experienced a decline in volume but saw a 50% increase in value year-on-year. Consequently, the country earned 184.4 million USD from exporting 27,274 tonnes of pepper in the two-month period./.