Fruit and vegetable exports gross 3.4 billion USD in first half. (Illustrative image. Source: congannhandan)

Of the figure, durian, dragon fruit, banana, and longan all significantly contributed to the fruit and vegetable sector’s export growth.

The country’s major export markets recorded a growth rate of between 10% and 50% against the same period from last year, with the exception of the Netherlands.

Specifically, China, Thailand and the Republic of Korea (RoK) all increased their imports by between 30% and 60% on-year. Of which, Thailand and the RoK spent 74.5 million USD and 136 million USD, respectively, on purchasing Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.

Most notably, China spent 1.7 billion USD on buying Vietnamese fruit and vegetables, posting an increase of 33% on-year.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, emphasized that Vietnamese fruits and vegetable exports to China enjoy advantages in this market due to close geographical proximity coupled with similarities in terms of culinary culture.

The country’s fruit and vegetable exports are therefore anticipated to grow by between 15% and 20% this year, with turnover reaching 7 billion USD if the sector takes the full advantage of the opportunities from the signed protocols.