The exports of rice in the first quarter of this year were estimated at 1.28 million tons worth of US$ 570 million, down by 18 per cent in quantity and 17.3 per cent in value over the same period last year.

China was leading the list of the country’s biggest rice export markets in the first two months of this year with 36 per cent of the total market share. It was followed by the Philippines with 206 million tons worth of nearly $ 80 million, accounted for 25 per cent of the total market share.

Since earlier this year, the country’s exports of rice to several traditional markets such as Ghana, Hong Kong and Malaysia decreased sharply.