Vietnam exported nearly 1 billion USD worth of fruits and vegetables in Q1, rising 7% from a year earlier, reported the Centre for Digital Transformation and Statistics under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit Association (Vinafruit), said thanks to high demand in China, which reopened in Q1 after the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have promoted exports to this neighbouring market. Prices of such fruits as durian and dragon fruit have also soared.
Due to China’s strong fruit import, many border gates of Vietnam have extended their working time to 10pm every day.
Good demand for fruit imports in China can help raise total fruit and vegetable exports in Q2 by 10% or higher, Nguyen noted, predicting that the revenue can reach about 2 billion USD in the first half of 2023.
Vietnamese fruits gain strong foothold in Australia
Australia has so far opened its market for four kinds of fresh fruit from Vietnam - dragon fruit, lychee, mango and longan, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Vegetable and fruits register the highest growth rate among Vietnamese exports to Australia, only behind fishery products.
The ministry’s statistic revealed that export turnover to Australia increased at an annual average of 9% during 2009-2022.
However, experts said there is still a lot of work needed for Vietnamese agricultural products to secure a firm foothold in Australia, which has more stringent requirements than the US, EU on labeling, food safety and trace of origin.
According to the ministry, in order to boost agricultural exports, enterprises should have a better understanding about requirements and business practices of the market. Besides, Vietnamese and Australian agencies should coordinate more closely to deal with requirements on biological safety for imported farm produce and broaden the scope of agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnamese fruit struggles on domestic market
The Vietnamese fruit industry has sharpened its focus on export opportunities as opposed to meeting the need of the domestic market, providing an opening for imported fruit.
According to a report from Vietnam News, tropical fruits such as durian, rambutan, mango, and pineapple from Thailand and China are dominating the market.
A fruit stall owner from Ho Chi Minh City was quoted by Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper as saying new season mangoes from China are arriving earlier than normal and in bigger sizes than domestic varieties.
The owner said the domestic offering is struggling to compete even though it is in-season and cheaper.
According to deputy director of the Thu Duc Trading and Import Export JSC Nguyen Binh Phuong, imported fruits are outperforming Vietnamese products in terms of quality, appearance and packaging.
Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports can reach US$ 4 billion in 2023
(VAN) In 2023, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports can reach US$ 4 billion critical milestone for the first time, after many years of approaching this target mark.
In the first quarter of 2023, vegetables and fruits were one of the few agricultural products of Vietnam that grew in export turnover. To be more specific, fruit and vegetable exports reached US$ 982 million in the first quarter of this year, up 16.2% compared to the same period in 2022.
According to Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, China reopening the border is critical in helping Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports achieve good growth in the first quarter.
Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China dropped sharply in 2022 due to the influence of this country's Zero Covid policy. This was the first time Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports experienced a severe drop in terms of export turnover with the Chinese market accounting for less than 50% of the total export value. The closed borders of the billion-people market was also the main reason why Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports generally declined compared to 2021.
Tiền Giang Province expands dragon fruit farming with eye on export
The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang has expanded its dragon fruit growing area to nearly 9,000ha and annual output to 200,000 tonnes.
Dragon fruit is easy to grow, has high yields and is the province’s important fruit export. The province grows mostly red-flesh dragon fruit, which is resistant to drought and able to grow in alum- and saltwater-affected areas.
So the province has chosen to develop its cultivation in areas with difficult farming conditions to mitigate saltwater intrusion, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic/VNA/ vietnamagriculture.nongnghiep.vn/