Lorries wait for customs clearance at a border gate in Lang Son province to carry farm produce exports to China. (Photo: sggp.org.vn) During thefirst 11 months of 2023, China, the US, and Japan were the three largest marketsof Vietnamese agro-forestry-fishery exports. China made up 23.2% of the totaland posted a year-on-year increase of 18%, becoming the biggest buyer of thoseproducts from Vietnam, according to the General Statistics Office and theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
DeputyMinister of Industry and Trade Phan Thi Thang said that among the farm produce, totalfruit and vegetable exports hit 5.32 billion USD during the period, soaring74.5% from a year earlier. They were followed by the overseas shipment of rice,which grew 16.2% in volume to 7.75 million tonnes and 36.3% in value to 4.4billion USD.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary Generalof the Vietnam Vegetable and Fruit Association, held that 2023 was a year of bumperfruit exports, especially durian the export of which to China shot upby even 161.8% at certain points of time.
Vietnamese authorities are boostingnegotiations with China to export frozen durian and fresh coconut via theofficial channel to this neighbouring market, he noted.
Besides, sales of rice to China haverisen sharply, by 55.2% year on year during the 11 months. The same upwardtrend has also been recorded in the shipment of cashew nut, coffee, and animalfeed to this market, by 11.4 - 42.3%, statistics show.
Withoutmarket uncertainties, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports may surpass 6billion USD in 2024.
Le Thanh Hoa, Deputy Director of the MARD’sQuality, Processing and Market Development Department, said China has licensed12 fruits and vegetables of Vietnam to enter its market via the officialchannel. The Chinese General Administration of Customs has announced the listof over 800 Vietnamese fishery processing businesses eligible to export fisheryproducts to China, and also approved product codes for 40 live crab and lobsterpackaging establishments, five others packaging black tiger and white-leggedshrimp, along with 128 aquatic products and 48 species of Vietnam.
This is a condition for Vietnamesefirms to access and continue stepping up exports to the market of 1.4 billion people,he opined.
Whileaquatic exports fell 18.9% year on year during January - November as reportedby the MARD, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP)said China remains a key market of many fishery products.
About 30% of Vietnam’s tra fishexport revenue currently comes from China. Vietnam is the seventh supplier offishery products for this major market this year.
Directorof the MARD’s Crop Cultivation Department Nguyen Nhu Cuong noted apart fromfruits, Vietnam is also exporting winter farm produce to China, adding that as the neighbour suffered from prolonged downpours and flooding in many localities thisyear, it has high import demand.
MARD Deputy Minister Hoang Trung saidto secure sustainable farm produce export to China, it is necessary to boostcultivation planning, grant more production unit codes, and ensure quality toincrease export via the official channel. The MARD and related ministries andsectors will promote negotiations to sign protocols on farm produce export toChina as well as potential markets.
Vietnamhas witnessed record growth in the export of many farm produce to China thanks tothose protocols. So far, 13 agricultural products have been shipped to themarket via the official channel, namely salangane nest, sweet potato, durian,longan, rambutan, mango, jackfruit, watermelon, banana, mangosteen, lychee,passion fruit, and durian.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Thang affirmed that her ministry will keep coordinating with the MARD tonegotiate with Chinese authorities so as to open this market to more fruitsfrom Vietnam such as green-skinned pomelo, fresh coconut, avocado, pineapple, starapple, lemon, and honeydew melon.
Addition, relevant agencies of bothsides will work to control the speed of customs clearance for seasonalagricultural and fishery products at the two countries’ border gates, and acceleratethe shift to export via the official channel./.
VNA
