A farmer harvests rice by a paddy field outside Hanoi, Vietnam on June 10, 2019. Vietnam’s rice exporters have raised concern over the impact of the Philippines’ ban on rice imports and urged their trade ministry to contest the measure. — REUTERS/KHAM

HANOI – Vietnam’s rice exports are forecast to fall 11.5% this year to around 8 million metric tons due to a sharp fall in shipments to the Philippines, the chairman of the country’s food association said on Tuesday.

Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter, after India and Thailand, and its key markets are the Philippines, Indonesia and Africa.

Its shipments to the Philippines, its largest market, came to a halt after Manila put a ban on rice imports in September to protect local farmers. The ban is set to last until the end of this year.

“It’s very likely the ban will be extended further,” Vietnam Food Association chairman Do Ha Nam told Reuters.

Rice shipments from Vietnam to the Philippines fell 18.5% in the first 10 months of this year from the same period in 2024 to 2.96 million tons, according to Vietnamís customs data.

Nam said global demand for rice remains strong and Vietnam will seek to boost exports to other markets, while focusing on the production of higher-quality rice.

“We are not facing fierce competition in the market for rice of higher quality,” Nam said, adding that he was confident exports will be maintained at 8 to 9 million tons a year.

In the longer term, Nam said the government has plans to cut rice exports and to use the land to grow other crops to adapt to market conditions.

In the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s rice bowl, some farmers have previously switched to shrimp farming and other crops due to the effects of climate change. — Reuters

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