Strong Export Growth
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, in the first eight months of 2024, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports reached $4.63 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 30%. The annual export value is expected to hit a record $7 billion. This growth momentum is driven by double-digit growth in Vietnam’s top ten fruit and vegetable export markets (except for the Netherlands). Particularly noteworthy is South Korea’s recent agreement to import fresh pomelos from Vietnam, while durians from the Central Highlands have entered the Thai market during the off-season.
Durian: A Key Growth Contributor
Durian has been a major contributor to the growth of fruit and vegetable exports. In the first eight months, durian exports amounted to approximately $1.82 billion, a 45% increase year-on-year, accounting for 40% of the total fruit and vegetable exports. Currently, durian crops in the Central Highlands are in the harvest season, providing a breakthrough opportunity for durian, especially in the Chinese market, further solidifying its market position.
Expanding Market Access
Under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Vietnam is now approved to export 12 types of fruits to China. Additionally, Vietnam is exporting five types of fruit to New Zealand, including mangoes, dragon fruit, rambutans, lemons, and pomelos. In the Japanese market, Vietnam has received approval to export dragon fruit, mangoes, and longan, with negotiations underway for pomelo exports.
The Vietnam Plant Protection Department is also working to open the Chinese market for citrus fruits, medicinal plants, and frozen durians. At the same time, negotiations are underway for the export of passion fruits, longan, and lychees to Australia, as well as passion fruits and pomelos to New Zealand.
Continued Expansion of Exported Varieties
To date, Vietnam has received approval to export eight types of fresh fruit to the U.S., including dragon fruit, mangoes, longan, lychees, rambutans, star apples, pomelos, and coconuts. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam reached an important consensus with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on adding passion fruit as the ninth type of fresh fruit allowed for export to the U.S., further expanding Vietnam’s access to this key market.
Successful Export Growth
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Trung noted that Vietnamese fruit is now present in major and important markets such as China, the U.S., Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Europe. This is particularly true for large-volume, high-yield fruits. Another testament to the success of Vietnam’s fruit export activities is that annual export volumes and values continue to surpass the previous year, indicating that Vietnamese fruits meet the quality demands of consumers in these key markets.
Conclusion:
- Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports saw a growth of over 30% in the first eight months of 2024, with the full-year export value expected to reach $7 billion.
- Durian is a significant driver of export growth, accounting for 40% of the total fruit and vegetable exports.
- Vietnam has successfully expanded into key markets such as China, the U.S., Japan, and New Zealand, with an increasing variety of export products.
- By actively negotiating market access, Vietnam continues to increase its international market share for fruit and vegetable exports.
