AsemconnectVietnam - Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports are expected to reach a new record of 6.5-7 billion USD this year, up 15-20% from 2023, propelled by robust market signs, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Earlier, the agricultural sector eyed 4.5 billion USD and 5.69 billion USD in export turnover in 2024 and 2025, respectively. However, 2023 was a successful year of the fruit and vegetable sector as export revenue reached a record high of 5.69 billion USD, a year-on-year hike of nearly 70%.
General Secretary of the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association (VINAFRUIT) Dang Phuc Nguyen attributed the success to better product quality, meeting the strict requirements of various markets, and diversity of fruit exports.He stressed that durian exports brought home some 2.4 billion USD in 2023, as compared to more than 200 million USD in 2021 and the previous years.
Other staples, including grapefruits, bananas, coconuts, longans, dragon fruits and lychees, have affirmed its prestige and position in choosy markets such as the US, New Zealand, Japan and China, paving the way to break in other developed countries in the coming time, according to VINAFRUIT.
Fruit, vegetable exports record high in 2023
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports surged to a record high in 2023, yet insiders said it is just a start as ample room remains for the sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) reported that the country earned 5.69 billion USD from fruit and vegetable exports in the year, up over 70% year-on-year.
China, the US, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Japan, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Australia were Vietnam’s biggest fruit and vegetable importers, especially neighbouring China that accounted for 65% of the revenue. Surpassing dragon fruit, durian made up the lion’s share with more than 2 billion USD, which is attributable to the protocol on phytosanitary requirements for Vietnamese durian exported to China.
Durian export aims for $3.5b this year 
Durian became the top export fruit of Việt Nam with a revenue of $2.2 billion, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s total fruit and vegetables export and playing a key role in helping the sector set a new export revenue record at $5.5 billion in 2023. Việt Nam’s durian export is heading for US$3.5 billion in revenue this year after jumping by 5 times to finish at more than $2 billion in 2023.
Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that durian became the top export fruit of Việt Nam with a revenue of $2.2 billion, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s total fruit and vegetables export and playing a key role in helping the sector set a new export revenue record at $5.5 billion in 2023.
Deputy Minister Phùng Đức Tiến said that the push came from the China’s opening for official export of fresh durian into this huge market of 1.4 billion people in July 2022.
If a protocol on exporting frozen durian is signed with China in 2024, Việt Nam’s durian export would increase more, he said.
Nguyễn Quý Dương, Deputy Director of the ministry’s Plant Protection Department, said that negotiations are underway for frozen durian export into China, which would open significant opportunities to boost durian export.
Vietnamese Bến Tre green-skinned pomelos gain global recognition
Bến Tre green-skinned pomelos, a fruit specialty from Vietnam, are gaining popularity across the globe, with exports reaching the EU, New Zealand, Australia, China, and Korea. These unique fruits, weighing between 1.2-2.5 kilos each, are recognized for their green, thin, and easy-to-peel skin, even when ripe. The inside of the fruit is red or pink and conveniently easy to pull apart.
The pomelo, along with other fruits like rambutan, coconut, durian, and mangosteen, is seen as having high potential for development and competition both domestically and internationally. This potential was first recognized in a fruit tasting competition in the 1960s. Today, the fruit is primarily grown in the Châu Thành, Giống Trôm and Chợ Lách districts, and Bến Tre City.
The Intellectual Properties Department has granted the Bến Tre green-skinned pomelo a geographical indication. This has led to the fruit being sold in major markets across Vietnam, including Hà Nội and HCM City. The fruit's popularity has now crossed borders, with exports reaching multiple countries.
Watermelon  officially exported to China
As a new protocol has been signed, Vietnamese watermelons have just been added as the sixth product on the export list to China. On December 13, the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a protocol on plant quarantine for fresh watermelons exported from Vietnam to China.
Under the protocol, fresh Vietnamese watermelon must not be infected with five quarantine pests under China's phytosanitary list, including Tephritidae (Bactrocera correcta, Bactrocera zonata, Bactrocera latifrons), aphid of Phenacoccus solenopsi, bacteria of Acidovorax avenae subsp citrulli, leaves or soil.
Thanks to the protocol, Vietnam has had six fruits and agricultural products administered to export to China comprising mangosteen, black jelly, durian, banana, sweet potato and watermelon.
T.Huong
Source: Vitic/VNA/Freshplaza