AsemconnectVietnam - Vietnam earned 3.45 billion USD from exporting vegetables and fruits in the first eight months of 2023, up 57.5% year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The figure exceeded last year’s export turnover of 3.16 billion USD. And with that growth pace, it is expected to surpass the record of 3.81 billion USD set in 2018.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung, in the coming time, the Central Highlands region will enter the main durian crop which is off-season compared to other countries. This will be an advantage helping the export value surge.
To date, more than 300 durian growing area codes and nearly 100 packaging codes have been granted.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit), said that with the current two-digit growth rate, the export revenue of vegetables and fruits may hit the 5 billion USD mark.
Dragon fruit origin e-traceability system introduced in Binh Thuan
An innovative e-traceability system to track the origin and carbon footprints of each dragon fruit have been introduced at a conference in the south-central province of Binh Thuan.
The event, themed "Digital Transformation towards Green Agriculture and Sustainable Development," was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on August 17.
Local and international consumers who buy or import dragon fruits from the province, can now transparently scan the QR code to trace the fruit origins and the levels of “green” or environment-friendly practices applied to produce the fruit.
In the context of green transition in agriculture, this is an important tool for local producers and businesses in Vietnam to track and manage the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission level of the supply chain and avoid unnecessary restrictions to export to the high-end markets, where carbon border adjustment mechanism is on the rise.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung said digital transformation is a must responsibility, huge obligation, and in interests of the entire producing system, especially farmers.
High demand expectations inflate Central Highlands durian prices
Farmers have raised their durian prices by more than 50% over the last month expecting a surge in demand, but traders are concerned they might lose money buying at the high rates.
The fruit now costs around VND100,000 ($4.21) per kilogram thanks to the hype.
In Central Highlands Dak Lak Province, farmers are selling their durian for VND75,000-100,000 per kilogram, up 54% from early July, and double the figure year-on-year.
Duyen, a farmer there, said traders are willing to pay VND100,000 per kilogram but she is not selling as she expects prices to rise even further.
Vietnam to tighten management of planting areas to improve agriculture exports
Vietnam will develop a database and software for tightening the management of planting areas and packaging facilities to serve agricultural product export, according to its Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ministry will also expand export markets, diversify goods, and support localities and businesses to meet the requirements of the markets, local newspaper Vietnam News reported, citing Hoang Trung, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
It will provide more professional guidance and training for local officials on regulations of importing countries, the newspaper cited the official on Friday.
A total of 6,883 planting area codes and 1,588 agricultural-product packing facility codes have been granted so far in Vietnam, mostly in the Mekong Delta region, according to Huynh Tan Dat, director of the ministry's Plant Protection Department.
Longans from Vietnam on Thai supermarket shelves for first time
Currently, the Vietnamese longans found on Tops supermarket shelves are from the Mekong delta city of Can Tho. The longans have been harvested in the growing area which fully meets GlobalGAP standards, along with the various requirements for export to the Thai market.
Up to 2.3 tonnes of longan from the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam are expected to be sold in the Tops retail system of Thailand’s Central Retail Group as part of this occasion. The sales of Vietnamese longans coincided with the Vietnamese Week in Thailand 2023 – the Magic Taste of Vietnam – which has been organised by Central Retail Group and opened at CentralwOrld on the evening of August 16.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic/VNA