The fruit and vegetable exports brought home 3.4 billion USD during the first half of 2024, surging 28 per cent year on year, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Durians harvested for export to China, which is the largest market of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables at present. (Source: VNA)

The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT) said durian, dragon fruit, banana, and longan were major contributors to export growth. Shipments to key markets also increased 10 - 50 per cent from the same period last year.

China, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) remain large importers, with their purchases from Vietnam up 30 - 60 per cent year on year by the end of May. China alone imported about 1.7 billion USD worth of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables in five months, soaring 33 per cent.

Predicting the continuation of smooth fruit and vegetable exports, VINAFRUIT explained that domestic supply is abundant while demand in both traditional and potential markets is on an upward trend.

In particular, such produce as durian, dragon fruit, pineapple, watermelon, mango, and longan are entering the main harvest season, which will contribute even more to sales to China, the largest market at present.

The association noted that the peak durian harvest season in the Central Highlands, boasting the biggest area of this fruit in Vietnam, is in September and October. Meanwhile, the country posted record durian exports in the same period last year because the fruit from Thailand ran out of stock.

The impact of El Nino has led to a nose in the global dragon fruit output this year. Supply from Mexico and South America for Europe and North America has shrunk but prices increased sharply due to a lean harvest. This is a chance for Vietnam to dominate those markets.

To improve dragon fruit quality, the south-central province of Binh Thuan approved a program on dragon fruit production following the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP), planning to expand the area adopting the standards to 10,500ha by the end of 2024. The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is also boosting intensive dragon fruit farming for export, which now covers almost 8,600ha in such districts as Cho Gao, Go Cong Tay, and Go Cong Dong.

This year, northern Bac Giang province, the largest lychee cultivation area in Vietnam, has seen the output plummet by over 50 per cent from 2023, but revenue is still higher than last year’s thanks to good prices.

VINAFRUIT attributed this result to the highest-ever fruit quality thanks to farmers’ better application of scientific and technical advances and experience, along with authorities’ active preparations such as stepping up trade promotion activities with domestic and foreign partners and enhancing ties with the administrations of border localities to facilitate shipments.

Bac Giang is currently home to 29,700ha of lychee trees, including 15,600 following VietGAP standards and 82ha following GlobalGAP standards. It exports about 24,785 tonnes of this fruit in 2024, equivalent to nearly 29 per cent of total output, mainly to China and some others like the EU, Japan, Australia, the US, and Canada.

MARD said the formation and granting of production and packaging unit codes have also helped improve the reputation of Vietnamese farm produce. So far, as many as 7,558 production unit codes and 1,558 packaging unit codes have been granted.