HANOI: Vietnam has 7-8 million metric tons of rice for exports this year, the country’s agriculture minister said in a report, according to state media.

The country’s rice output is estimated at 27 million-28 million tons this year, Le Minh Hoan said in the report cited by online newspaper VietnamNet on Friday.

Hoan said the output is sufficient for ensuring the country’s domestic food security. Rice exports from Vietnam in the first seven months of this year rose 21% from a year earlier to 4.89 million tons, according government data.