Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export turnover is expected to hit a record of 1.4 billion USD in 2014, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Data from the ministry shows that the 10-month export value met the set target of 1.2 billion USD.

Neighbouring China topped Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable importers, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the latter’s total exports. It was followed by Japan, with 4.84 percent, and the Republic of Korea, 3.77 percent.

Apart from traditional markets, Vietnamese enterprises have been boosting the export of these commodities to new ones such as Hong Kong (China) and the United Arab Emirates.

The ministry attributed such a strong performance to local fruit and vegetable meeting safety and quality requirements as well as to their competitive prices.

Last year, Vietnam shipped abroad more than 1 billion USD worth of fruit and vegetable, compared to 827 million USD in 2012.-VNA