Improved quality boosts export of fruit, vegetables

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export in 2016 hit 2.4 billion USD, representing an increase of 30 percent from 2015 and exceeding the year target of 2.2 billion USD set by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, the result was attributable to efforts to seek new markets and keep traditional markets.

In 2016, five types of fruits gained entry to four new markets - mangoes to Australia, dragon fruits to Taiwan (China), longans and lychees to Thailand and cashew to Peru, thus expanding the market for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable to more than 60 countries and territories.

China continues to be the largest market for Vietnam’s fruits and vegetables, accounting for around 70 percent, followed by the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan.

Bui Sy Doanh, from the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the department would continue stepping up negotiations on technical barriers to help more Vietnamese fruits and vegetables enter selective markets like the US, Japan and Australia.

In 2017, Vietnam hopes to win import approval of Australia for its dragon fruits, approval of Japan for red-flesh dragon fruits and that of the US for star apples.

Nguyen Huu Dat from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association emphasized the need to further improve post-harvest preservation and processing technologies to meet demands for quality and diverse products in foreign markets.-VNA