There is plenty of room for Vietnamese fruit and vegetables to enter more stringent markets such as the US, Australia, and the EU by focusing on high-quality fruit, accurate origin certificates, and food safety standards, according to insiders.

A number of fruits grown in Vietnam have successfully entered high value and challenging markets and the country is constantly seeking ways to beef up its economic power via fruit exports.

A ceremony was held in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on September 17 to announce the first shipment of its fruit to the EU under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Vietnam earned nearly 2 billion USD from fruit and vegetable exports in the first seven months of this year, down 12.3 percent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Foreign markets, especially TPP agreement members, will take in Vietnamese fruit and vegetables this year, but the question now is how to supply enough volume while following strict safety standards.