Vietnam expects to make big money on fruit, veg exports
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Vietnamese experts are optimistic about the prospects for this year's fruit and vegetable exports, expecting to rake in US$1.2 billion (Bt38.73 billion).
Vietnam’s Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit) was quoted as saying that fruit and vegetable exports jumped more than 22 per cent compared to last year and recorded earnings of $136 million in the first two months of this year, according to radio the Voice of Vietnam.
Vinafruit secretary-general Nguyen Van Ky said that major importers of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables were China, Japan, the US and Thailand. Malaysia is also a major importer of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables.
He noted that Vietnam and Taiwan had finalised an agreement late last year, under which the latter will import a large amount of dragon fruit. Vietnam is also due to ship fruits to New Zealand and mangoes to South Korea in the first quarter of this year.
Longan and lychee are being processed for shipment to the US market, and the two nations are currently negotiating a deal on the export of mangoes and star apples.
According to Vinafruit, Vietnam exported 1,300 tonnes of dragon fruit and 300 tonnes of rambutan to the US, along with 300 tonnes of dragon fruit to Japan and a similar quantity of the fruit to South Korea last year.
With the exception of dragon fruit, exports of other kinds of fruit, such as pomelo, mango and rambutan, to the US remained modest. Vegetable exports to Europe have resumed, but in small volumes.
Last year, fruit and vegetable exports hit $1.04 billion, nearly $200 million more than the figure recorded in 2012.
China was Vietnam’s biggest importer, accounting for 27.6 per cent of the local market share, followed by Japan with 5.59 per cent and the US with 4.7 per cent.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetables are now available in 40 countries, with dragon fruit, grapefruit, and frozen as well as canned vegetables the best sellers.
