Vietnam exported 19,000 tons of cashew nuts worth 75 million U.S. dollars in the first two months of this year, up 26.4 percent and 24.1 percent, respectively, against the same period last year.

Vietnam is likely to sell overseas some 140,000 tons of the nuts valued at around 560 million dollars in 2007, up 10.2 percent and 10.9 percent over 2006, according to the Vietnam Cashew Association on Thursday.

The country is focusing on increasing the products' quality, intensifying trade promotion, further tapping such traditional markets as China, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Britain, Russia and Japan, and seeking new ones, the association said.

Vietnam shipped abroad 127,000 tons of cashew nuts valued at 505 million dollars in 2006, posting respective year-on-year rises of 16.5 percent and 0.6 percent.

The country, which had 350,000 hectares of cashew trees in 2005, plans to increase the cashew acreage to 450,000 hectares in 2010.

Source: Xinhua