In the first three months of this year, the export value of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables increased by 41 percent, to US$526 million. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Vietnamese vegetable and fruit products have made forays into some tough markets that include Japan, South Korea and the United States (US).
However, China remained the largest exporter of Vietnamese vegetable and fruit products, accounting for 71 per cent of the total, because this market does not need as high quality products as the other markets.
In the first two months of this year, China imported $236 million worth of vegetables and fruit from Vietnam.
According to the Vietnam Gardening Association, Australia has permitted Vietnam to export litchi while New Zealand has considered importing some kinds of Vietnamese rambutan.
The domestic farming industry has implemented the necessary procedures and solved difficulties to export some kinds of fruits such as star apple, longan, litchi, rambutan and dragon fruit to Asian markets, including South Korea and Taiwan, the association said.
In 2015, Vietnam made its first fruit exports to the US, including 3 million tonnes of litchi and 100 tonnes of longan.
Vietnam expects to make $2 billion in vegetable and fruit exports this year because the nation can enter three more tough markets, including Japan, the European Union and the US.
The ministry said the importer countries have two technical barriers: food safety and plant quarantine, so Vietnamese vegetable and fruit products can only enter these markets if they meet the required standards.
Last year, Vietnam’s vegetable and fruit export value reached $1.8 billion, 23.7 per cent higher than 2014, becoming one of top five farming export products in Vietnam.
