4M fruit & vegetable exports reach $1 billion

China, the US, Japan, and South Korea account for more than 80% of total.

Exports of fruit and vegetables were estimated at $1 billion in the first four months of the year, an increase of 32.6 per cent year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

China, the US, Japan, and South Korea were Vietnam’s largest markets, accounting for 82.9 per cent of the total.

Exports saw strong growth in markets such as Russia, at 88.7 per cent, Japan 50.9 per cent, Thailand 34 per cent, China 33.3 per cent, Malaysia 32.8 per cent, South Korea 18.7 per cent, and the US 13.3 per cent.

Figures from the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association show that 2016 was a successful year for fruit and vegetables as they earned about $2.5 billion in export revenue, an increase of 30 per cent against 2015 and surpassing the value of other strong agricultural products such as rice, pepper, and rubber.

Export turnover is expected at $3 billion for the year as a whole.

The General Department of Customs, meanwhile, revealed that Vietnamese people spent more than $164 million on fruit and vegetable imports in the first two months of 2017, of which 70 per cent were from Thailand and China.

Import value, however, fell nearly 31 per cent year-on-year. On average, Vietnamese people spend nearly $2.8 million a day on imported fruit and vegetables.

Thailand and China’s 70 per cent market share was equal to $114.2 million.

Thailand is the largest source, with turnover of $82.6 million, or 50 per cent. China saw turnover reach $31.6 million, while Myanmar and the US followed with $15 million and $13.2 million, respectively.

Most imports were mangos, custard apples, and tamarind from Thailand and apples, oranges, pears, kiwi fruit, and cherries from New Zealand and Australia, while those from China were mainly cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, oranges, and apples.

by Ngoc Lan / VET