Hanoi (VNA)𒁏 - Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export turnover reached more than 1 billion USD in June, raising the figure in the first half of this year to 2.75 billion USD, 63% higher than that of the same period last year, the General Department of Vietnam Customs has reported.

Fruit and vegetable exports hit record

General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit) Dang Phuc Nguyen said that the country’s fruit and vegetable export revenue in June set a record so far thanks to China’s opening to many Vietnamese fruits such as durian and grapefruit.

China led the top five importers of Vietnam's vegetableಌs and fruits with exports to the neighbouring country accounting for more than 63% of Vietnam's total export value.

Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit exports to the US decreased by 12% over the same period in 2022 but other major importers such as the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands saw increases of 12%, 0.5%, and 70%, respectively. If the upward trend continues until the end of 2023, Vietnam can reach the export goal of 5 billion USD set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for 2025, Nguyen said.

A representative of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that China is currently implementing a policy of mainstreaming commercial activities, so Vietnam needs to pay more attention to exporting via official channels.

Vietnam has also built material areas, and granted planting area codes following the requirements of the Chinese market to make Vietnamese products eligible to enter this market.

🅰 Late last year, Vietnamese green-skinned grapefruit received a planting area code for export to China. Recently, sweet potatoes and durian were also granted the codes, which creates more motivation for Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit sector to invest in production and export.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said Vietnam has expanded sale channels, especially e-commerce, and export markets; and created favourable conditions for Chinese traders to enter Vietnam to boost the consumption of agricultural products such as longans and lychees. Although the harvest season lasts for a short time, Tien said the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong boast experiences, especially in exporting the fruits to China. From perspectives of enterprises, Nguyen Dinh Tung, General Director of Vina T&T Group, said that despite competition from Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines, Vietnam has still made a breakthrough in exporting fruits. The Chinese market has helped the group achieve good growth in fruit exports in the first months of 2023, he said.

Ngo Tuong Vy, General Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Export Group Joint Stock Company, said that the company will export 20,000-30,000 tonnes of durian to China in 2023. However, to compete with other exporters from Thailand and the Philippines, Vietnamese businesses and farmers must focus on increasing quality.

🧸 Currently, Vietnamese durian has many competitive advantages compared to Thai and Philippine durian. Vietnam's durian output is now increasing to around 1 million tonnes, and harvesting time is almost year-round while Thailand and the Philippines only harvest seasonally. In addition, the shorter shipping distance from Vietnam to China is also an advantage to help Vietnamese durian stay fresh, and the shipping costs included in the price will be cheaper than those of the competitors.

Nguyen said that the export via official channels to the Chinese market is an opportunity for Vietnam to develop the vegetable and fruit sector in the direction of modernity, sustainability, and close links from production to consumption as well as increase the values and position of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables in the international market.

🍰 The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development should continue to negotiate and sign more protocols for products to be exported via official channels such as dragon fruit, mango, watermelon, jackfruit, and rambutan, he suggested.

The Chinese market is expected to be opened for items such as green-skinned pomelo, fresh coconut, avocado, lemon, pineapple, and star apple. In addition, it is necessary to open up other markets such as the RoK, Japan, Australia, and the US.

Bright prospects in the second half of 2023

Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of the Agro Processing and Market Development Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said fruits and vegetables have contributed an increasing proportion to the country’s agro-forestry-aquatic product export earnings. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the export turnover of fruits and vegetables decreased due to restrictions of several markets but they still ranked among products with annual revenues of over 3 billion USD. It is forecast that the sector’s export prospects will be brighter in the second half of the year as Vietnam’s agricultural products are popular in many countries and many markets have reopened after the pandemic was controlled. General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit) Dang Phuc Nguyen also predicted that with abundant supplies, the country will see positive signs in fruit and vegetable exports if the sector well satisfy the markets’ requirements./.