According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the export turnover of vegetables and fruits in April 2024 was about 520 million USD, up 33.9% compared to April 2023. Overall, in the first 4 months of 2024, fruit and vegetable exports reached 1,804 billion USD, up 32.1% over the same period last year.
Exporting vegetables and fruits was favorable in the first 4 months of 2024. In the first quarter alone, due to a sharp increase in export orders, the fruit and vegetable industry earned 1.3 billion USD. This is the first time that the export turnover of vegetables and fruits reached over 1 billion USD in the first quarter.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT), durian is the key item. Last year alone, durian contributed more than 2.2 billion USD to the whole industry’s export revenues of over 5.6 billion USD.
Durian contributed greatly to the export turnover of vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables and fruits exported to major markets in the first 3 months of 2024 all increased. China was leading in terms of export values with 759.4 million USD, up 32.4% compared to the same period in 2023. Followed was Korea with 74.6 million USD, 59.3%. Next was the US with 67.7 million USD, 33.9%.
It is expected that in 2024, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports, including durian, will grow even more because more growing area and packaging facilities codes may be granted, creating favorable conditions for exports.
Vietnam is the second-largest supplier of durian to China but ranks first in terms of growth rate. Vietnam’s durian exports began to increase sharply when the two countries signed a protocol in July 2022. Besides, if coconuts are allowed for official export, this will positively contribute to promoting the export of vegetables and fruits in the coming time.
The Chinese market’s demand for fruits and vegetables is large. Therefore, Vietnam is negotiating to have more items exported officially to this market. At the same time, enterprises are promoting exports to major markets such as the US, EU, Australia, and Korea.
Many experts said that fruit and vegetable exports in 2024 will reach 6 – 6.5 billion USD. Due to the El Nino, the global supply of fruits and vegetables is decreasing. It will be a good opportunity for Vietnam if we have quality products.
However, the opportunity comes with compliance with the requirements of the importing markets. In the past time, most markets have tightened the quality of imported agricultural products. According to the Vietnam Trade Office in South Korea, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDs) has sent a notice of the re-application of imported foods subject to inspection before entering South Korea.
Accordingly, along with the construction and good management of raw material areas meeting sustainable export standards and harvest control, timely updating of technical requirements from importers will help Vietnam’s agricultural products access deeply into major markets./.