The export value of vegetables and fruits in the first 4 months of 2023 reached 1.39 billion USD, up 19.4% over the same period last year. Vegetables and fruits are one of the few key export groups of our country’s agricultural-forestry-fishery industry to maintain a positive growth rate in the first months of 2023.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in April 2023, fruits and vegetable exports helped Vietnam earn 410 million USD, up 75% compared to April 2022. Accumulated in the first 4 months, the export value of vegetables and fruits reached 1.39 billion USD, up 19.4% over the same period last year. Items with a strong increase in turnover include dragon fruit, durian, mango, jack fruit, etc.
Durian exports are expected to bring in 1 billion USD in 2023.
CHINA IS THE LEADING MARKET
Analyzing the export market in the first 4 months of this year, the MARD said that China ranks first in consumption of Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits with 58.7% of the market share, up 27.4% over the same period in 2022. Besides, Laos, Korea, and Japan also increased their imports of Vietnam’s fruits.
Laos is the export market with the strongest increase in value for vegetables and fruits, which is 2.8 times higher than in the same period in 2022. However, the Lao market only accounts for a small proportion of Vietnam’s total fruits and vegetables exports. In contrast, exports of vegetables and fruits to the US decreased by nearly 18%, to Australia by 20.2% compared with the same period last year.
“In the Q2 of 2023, the country’s fruit production is estimated at over 2.6 million tons. Of which, the quantity of banana is about 460,000 tons, mango 350,000 tons, durian 300,000 tons, dragon fruit 250,000 tons, lychee 330,000 tons, pineapple 217,000 tons, longan 110,000 tons, and orange 180,000 tons. The abundant supply of fruits can meet export orders “.
According to the Department of Crop Production, MARD.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association, said: The increase in fruits and vegetables exports thanks to Vietnam signing a protocol to officially export durian, sweet potato, and banana to China, grapefruit to the US, and lime to New Zealand.
In particular, durian is the key item contributing to the impressive export results of the fruits and vegetables industry in the first 4 months of the year. Durian alone brought in 420 million USD in turnover last year. If the favorable situation lasts a long time, the turnover of the king fruit will reach about 1 billion USD this year.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen said: “Export of vegetables and fruits will continue to be favorable in the Q2 of 2023. It is expected that this year, the export of Vietnam’s fruits and vegetables industry will reach 4 billion USD. It is forecast that the export of vegetables and fruits to China will bring in about 2.5 billion USD in 2023, showing the great prospects of this industry in the market of 1.4 billion people. ”
DURIAN AND SWEET POTATOES
One of the memorable events of the fruits and vegetables industry last April was on April 19, 2023, in Binh Tan district, Vinh Long province, the first official export ceremony of Vietnam’s sweet potatoes to China took place. This shipment consists of 28 tons of sweet potatoes, which are exported by Song Toan Phat Trading and Service Co., Ltd.
The official export of sweet potatoes is the result of many years of negotiations between the MARD of Vietnam and the General Department of Customs of China. The official export protocol of sweet potatoes to China was signed on Nov 22, 2022.
Binh Tan district has the largest area of sweet potatoes in the Mekong Delta with 12,000-14,000 ha and the output is 380,000-400,000 tons/year. Up to now, Vinh Long has 27 planting area codes and 3 sweet potato packaging facilities granted export codes to China.
“Regarding durian, to increase export turnover in 2023, it is necessary to negotiate to license more planting area codes and packaging codes. On the other hand, we need to call for investment in capital and advanced technology for fruit and vegetable processing enterprises to increase export value. ”
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen – General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association.
The official export to China is an opportunity to develop Vietnam’s sweet potato industry towards modernity, quality, safety, sustainability, and close links from the production stage to the consumption market. From there, it can improve efficiency and raise the value of Vietnam’s sweet potatoes in the international market.
Vietnam’s sweet potatoes are officially exported to the Chinese market.
Durian exports are of great interest. As the world’s largest durian consumer, China spends about 4 billion USD a year to import durian. Data from Chinese customs show that this country imported 821,500 tons of fresh durian in 2021, a fourfold increase from 2017. In 2022, despite being affected by the Covid pandemic, China imported about 800,000 tons of durian. In previous years, China mainly imported durian from Thailand.
In July 2022, China officially “granted a visa” for Vietnam’s durian to export to this market. From Sept 2022 (the time of exporting durian to China by the protocol) to now, Vietnam’s durian export turnover has increased sharply.
Ms. Ngo Tuong Vy, General Director of Chanh Thu Fruits Export Group Joint Stock Company, expects that the company will export 20,000-30,000 tons of durian to China in 2023.
However, Ms. Vy is worried about the quality of durian exported to China. Recently, the price of durian has increased to a record high. Due to scarce goods, some farmers are chasing profits, forcing traders to buy bad or young durians without sorting them out. While traders who lack goods accept to buy all types of durians without caring about quality.
“It took us many years to be able to export durian officially to China. Instead of creating goods that meet export standards to gain market share, now we are running after profits, massively buying poor-quality or young durians. We cannot exchange credibility and relationship that takes many years to build up by the profit of 1-2 billion each trip”, Ms. Vy emphasized.
Talking about the Chinese durian market, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen said that Vietnam’s durian has many competitive advantages compared with Thailand and the Philippines. Vietnam’s durian production now reaches about more than 1 million tons. Besides, Vietnam’s durian is available for all-year-round harvest while Thailand and the Philippines only pick by season. The shorter distance from Vietnam to China is also an advantage to help our durian fresh and the transportation cost included in the price will be cheaper than the competitors.
To accelerate exports of fruits and vegetables, the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association said that the MARD needs to continue negotiating and signing more protocols for some items that have been officially exported such as dragon fruit, mango, watermelon, jackfruit, rambutan, etc. The Chinese market should open more for other items such as green-skin grapefruit, fresh coconut, avocado, lime, pineapple, and star apple. It is necessary to promote more activities to open other markets such as Korea, Japan, Australia, the US, etc./.