AsemconnectVietnam - Vietnam has achieved a new milestone in fruit and vegetable exports, setting a record in revenue for the first 10 months of this year.

Since the beginning of the year, Vietnam has received a large number of orders, especially for high-value products such as durians, mangos, and jackfruits. From January to October, vegetable exports reached over 4.9 billion USD, up nearly 80% year-on-year. According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), the re-opening of the Chinese market as well as protocols signed with the largest market of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables were among motivations for growth of fruit and vegetable exports. In the last two months of 2023, Vietnam is projected to earn over 1 billion USD from fruit and vegetable exports, mainly dragon fruits, bananas, and durians.
Vietnam gets new potato varieties
Vietnam has just welcomed a new potato variety HCIP210 developed through a public-private partnership. This breakthrough is part of the TAP5 project entitled “The collaborative breeding of five tropically adapted potato varieties”, an initiative that has been combining the strengths of public and private sectors to accelerate potato breeding and selection processes, and it’s just the beginning of something truly remarkable.
Traditionally, developing a new potato variety takes anywhere from 10 to 12 years. But thanks to the collaborative efforts of the TAP5 project, Vietnam has witnessed the birth of HCIP210 in just eight years. This cream-fleshed potato variety has many benefits, including high yield potential, adaptability to various conditions, and robust resistance to late blight and viruses like PVY and PVX. What’s more, it boasts an extended dormancy period of over 120 days, ensuring a steady supply of high-quality ware potatoes long after the harvest season.
The success of HCIP210 has been validated through large-scale on-farm registration trials conducted across six locations in Vietnam, including the Red River Delta and the Central Highlands. The results are nothing short of impressive, with HCIP210 outperforming commercial checks like Marabel and PO3 by recording up to 17% higher marketable tuber yields in certain regions. This variety is poised to significantly impact smallholder farmers in Vietnam, as its resistance to major biotic stresses could substantially reduce the need for chemical interventions.
Price of imported fruit drops in Vietnam
The prices of imported fruits such as kiwis, apples, pomegranates, and pears in Vietnam have significantly decreased, costing only a fraction of their prices two years ago.
Golden kiwi from New Zealand, for instance, is sold at VND57,000 per kilogram, down 15% from a year ago. Chinese and Tunisian pomegranates are priced at VND60,000-70,000 and VND35,000-50,000 per kilogram, respectively, compared to up to VND250,000 in 2021.
First-grade pears from South Korea are available at VND60,000-80,000 per kilogram, and second-grade varieties at VND30,000-40,000. The decline in prices is attributed to abundant supply and relatively stable demand, with recent trade deals contributing to lower prices of Chinese fruits in the Vietnamese market according to e.vnexpress.net.
Vietnam's accession to free trade agreements has also reduced import taxes on fruits, making imports more affordable. In the first 10 months of 2023, Vietnam imported fruits and vegetables worth $1.6 billion, with imports of fruits at low prices from countries like India, New Zealand, and South Korea increasing by 4-62% year-on-year.
Vietnamese Musang King durians sell for historically low prices
Musang King durian grown in Vietnam has seen prices dropping to a historic low of VND80,000 ($3.25) per kilogram, down 70% year-on-year due to low quality. A farmer in the central highland province of Dak Lak, said that in previous years traders were competing to buy the Musang King durian for up to VND700,000 per kilogram, but this year few are buying them.
Industry insiders say that Musang King grown in Vietnam has lower quality than in Malaysia, and the flesh can be cloying for some customers. Thailand’s Monthong and Vietnam’s Ri 6 varieties therefore are more preferred. A trader in the southern city of Can Tho said that Musang King fails to compete with other varieties in terms of price and productivity and therefore its prices have plunged.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic/VNA