According to the provincial Statistics Department, the results were due to success in seafood exports, which saw a 26.21 percent rise year on year to hit US$450.5 million.
However, exports of the agro-forestry sector were low at US$29.11 million, equivalent to just 41.6 percent of the set target and down 49 percent over the previous year, the department said. A particularly sharp fall was seen in both export volume and value of rice by 60,000 tonnes and an average US$18 per tonne, the department added. The reason behind the drop was the fierce competition from other strong exporters such as Thailand , India , Pakistan and the emerging exporters of Myanmar and Cambodia , it revealed. Other currency earners from Soc Trang included mushrooms, eggs, fruit and machinery.