HANOI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic product exports are projected to surpass 62 billion U.S. dollars this year, marking a new milestone, Vietnam News Agency cited the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as saying on Monday.

The country is forecast to post a record trade surplus of 18.6 billion dollars in this sector, said the ministry.

Do Ha Nam, chairman and general director of Intimex Group, said the achievement was largely driven by record-setting exports of rice, coffee, and fruits. The key contributors to this growth included coffee exports (up 56.9 percent); pepper (up 53.3 percent); rubber (up 24.6 percent) and rice (up 10.6 percent).

Vietnam set unprecedented records in both rice export volume and value, with approximately 9 million tons worth 5.7 billion dollars, he said.

According to the industry insider, the sector's export turnover of over 62 billion dollars far exceeded the government's target of 54-55 billion dollars. The promising achievement signals the potential for even stronger agro-forestry-aquatic growth in 2025. ■