EU is the largest export market for Vietnamese pineapples
According to data from Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, current pineapple growing area is about 52,000 hectares, the harvested area is 48,000 hectares, the yield is 184.1 quintals/ha, the output is 860,000 tonnes. The orientation by 2030 is to develop about 55,000-60,000 hectares, the output is 800,000-950,000 tonnes.
Key pineapple producing provinces include: Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Nam, Tien Giang, Kien Giang. Pineapple is grown in different harvest seasons to serve the year-round demand for pineapple, meeting the capacity of canned pineapple processing factories and the demand for fresh pineapple in the off-season from November to March of the following year. Arrange the area of off-season pineapple to account for 30 - 40% of the area.
Currently, Vietnamese pineapples are present in more than 100 countries and territories. By the end of May 2025, the largest pineapple export market was the EU market with an export value of 16.56 million USD, accounting for 48%, of which the largest was the Russian Federation with a value of 9.4 million USD. The second place was the US market with a value of 7.2 million USD, accounting for 20.9%.
General Secretary of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association - Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen - commented that the pineapple market in the world is showing a strong consumption trend, creating "vast space" and "no goods to sell".
The global pineapple market size is expected to reach US$28.79 billion by 2024 and continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.33% to reach US$39.13 billion by 2029. The European and North American markets account for 50% of consumption demand, showing great export potential. Costa Rica, Indonesia and the Philippines are the world's top 3 pineapple producing and exporting countries.
Meanwhile, Vietnamese pineapples are highly competitive, typically DOVECO's concentrated pineapple juice products have been exported to more than 50 countries, with consumers willing to pay high prices. Vietnamese products even surpass those from the US and Europe, thereby affirming the increasingly solid position of Vietnamese pineapples in the international market.
“DOVECO’s pineapple products have been exported to more than 50 countries around the world. The fact that Japanese customers are willing to pay a high price (4,000 USD/tonne of concentrated pineapple, 1,000 - 1,200 USD higher than the EU and US markets) for DOVECO’s concentrated pineapple shows the position and quality of Vietnamese pineapple products in the international market,” said Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen.
Pineapple industry must have a clear and methodical strategy
Although pineapple has export advantages, experts and businesses believe that this product is facing challenges such as: monotonous varieties, lack of good varieties, varieties resistant to important pests and diseases, lack of standard raw material areas, loose linkages, low processing rates, lack of national brands and the market still has many potential risks. If we do not proactively reorganize the industry right now, we will lose our advantages and fall behind other countries in the same geographical region.
According to MSc. Ngo Quoc Tuan, Deputy Director of the Post-Import Plant Quarantine Center II, Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, although Vietnam has exported to 122 countries, it has not opened technical documents for new markets. The EU is a potential market that can be exploited through EVFTA.
To make good use of output and reach a billion-dollar scale, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen said that the pineapple industry must have a clear and methodical strategy. Expanding raw material areas, improving varieties, and applying technical technology to improve productivity and quality are extremely necessary. The State also needs to pay attention to investing in irrigation systems for pineapple growing areas, issuing separate support policies for farmers and businesses because the initial investment costs are quite high.
“There needs to be an effective credit policy for pineapple growing areas, especially those with high productivity because the initial investment cost is not low, about 120-130 million VND/ha, and after 15 months it will be harvested,” Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen shared, and at the same time, he said that it is necessary to “untie” land through mechanisms such as equitization of public land, leasing or auctioning land to open up resources, creating favorable conditions for the sustainable development of the pineapple industry.
From the business perspective, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nafoods Joint Stock Company - said that state management agencies need to have clear orientations and planning, avoiding the situation of massive planting when prices are high, leading to price drops. It is necessary to control Chinese traders and foreign factories that purchase at too low prices.
In addition, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection needs to quickly update and strictly manage regulations on pesticide residues from demanding markets such as the EU, the US, and China. At the same time, it is necessary to manage small-scale production facilities that do not ensure food safety and hygiene, to avoid affecting the common brand of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Source: Vitic/ congthuong.vn