Fruit and vegetable exports suffered a fall of 11% on-year to US$2.5 billion during the opening nine months of the year, despite the country's market share of fresh coconuts to Thailand enjoying a sharp increase, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Preliminary processing of dragon fruit for export in
the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang. (Photo: VNA)

September alone witnessed fruit and vegetable exports reach US$250 million, representing a decline of 9.4% from August, and a 7.2% drop in comparison to the same period from last year.

In August, dragon fruits enjoyed the strongest export growth among various types of fruit, with its value accounting for 51.8% of total fruit exports.

Most notably, dragon fruit exports to the Chinese market saw a surge of 7.0% to US$127.4 million from August of last year, representing 95% of the total export value.

According to information released by the Import and Export Department, this sharp increase in dragon fruit to China can largely be attributed to the favourable conditions of customs clearance, coupled with increasing demand within the Chinese market.

Local firms have therefore been urged to promote the export of dragon fruit through official channels as a means of securing entry into traditional markets such as China whilst also expanding into new markets such as Australia, New Zealand, and the EU.

Furthermore, passion fruit exports are expected to see vigorous growth due to the fruit being increasingly favoured by foreign consumers.

Moreover, the enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is anticipated to enhance the competitive edge of local firms in comparison to regional rivals such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, in addition to South American countries such as Peru and Ecuador.

According to statistics released by the International Trade Center (ITC), Thailand imported 210,200 tonnes of fresh coconuts worth US$76.4 million during the initial seven months of the year, representing an increase of 299.5% in volume and 592.8% in value against the same period last year.

During the reviewed period, Thailand also imported 129,000 tones of fresh coconuts worth US$50.4 million from the nation, marking an annual rise of 377.7% in volume and 781.3% in value.