Local fruit exports to the US are set to enjoy strong grow in both output and value moving towards the end of the year, according to business insiders, largely due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic being brought under control, coupled with the start of the peak season and efforts made by domestic enterprises.

Despite suffering from the negative impact caused by COVID-19 earlier in the year, fruit exports to the United States still reached more than 5,100 tonnes, representing a decline from the same period last year.

"We expect that from now to the end of the year, the quantity of the item will increase more than last year,” says Hoang Trung, director of Plant Protection Department.

Ngo Tuong Vy, deputy director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import and Export Co., Ltd., states that since the beginning of the year, the company’s output of fruit exports witnessed a surge of approximately 30% from the corresponding period last year, especially in terms of frozen durian exported to the US.

Typically, the peak season for Vietnamese fruit exports starts from October and runs to June of the following year. In addition to having durian in stock, Chanh Thu Company also prepares a number of other items such as mangoes, dragon fruit, and longans for export to the highly lucrative market, she adds.

“In general, market demand has decreased, but businesses still have to diversify products, apply food standards along with ensuring post-harvest preservation. Each factor that makes a little difference is also a competitive advantage for businesses,” Vy shares.

Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T, says his firm's export volume has decreased by roughly 10% in comparison to the same period last year. Vina T&T leaders are therefore anticipating that the next peak season will be able to make up for the fall in fruit exports.

“The biggest difficulty for the time being is the possibility of a prolonged pandemic that can increase the unemployment rate and reduce purchasing power. But businesses still have to invest in long-term development. A positive sign is that many markets still have a demand for Vietnamese agricultural products due to the nation's high-standard cultivation capability of agricultural products gradually improving," says Tung.

This will also mark a steady step forward in terms of the process of boosting local fruit exports in the future, along with the export of domestic agricultural products in general, he adds.

At present, the nation has six types of fresh fruit that are permitted to be exported to the US market, including dragon fruit, rambutans, longans, litchis, star apples, and mangoes. It is therefore expected that grapefruit will become the seventh fruit added to the list.