The export of fruits and vegetables in the first six months of the year increased by over 63%

By the end of June, the estimated export turnover of fruits and vegetables reached 2.8 billion USD, nearly equal to the export turnover of fruits and vegetables for the entire previous year (3.3 billion USD). In the month of June alone, fruit and vegetable exports reached over 723 million USD, an increase of over 79% compared to the same period last year. Among them, the two types of fruits that contributed the most were durian and dragon fruit.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, the Secretary-General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, believes that this could be considered a breakthrough year for agricultural exports with remarkable growth rates, hoping to achieve unprecedented achievements.

According to statistics in the second quarter of 2023, the nationwide fruit production reached over 2.6 million tons. Among them, banana exports reached about 460 thousand tons, mango exports 350 thousand tons, durian exports 300 thousand tons, dragon fruit exports 250 thousand tons, litchi exports 330 thousand tons, pineapple exports 217 thousand tons, longan exports 110 thousand tons, orange exports 180 thousand tons, and more.

China is the largest market for fruit and vegetable exports from Vietnam, accounting for 63.47%, an increase of over 12.4% compared to the same period last year. Following that are the markets of the United States, South Korea, and Japan, although the US market has decreased by 12% compared to 2022.

Deputy Director of the Processing and Market Development Department of Agricultural Products - Le Thanh Hoa added that durian has been a shining factor since the beginning of the year. The growth rate of this fruit has increased 18 times compared to the same period last year, showing remarkable and astonishing growth, making the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable export market even more dynamic and bustling.

Durian achieved such astonishing growth thanks to the Chinese market. Currently, China accounts for up to 95% of the export value of Vietnamese durian. This is a very positive outcome from Vietnam officially signing a protocol for legitimate durian export to China in July 2022. This year, Vietnamese enterprises have secured contracts to export 1,500 containers of durian (15 tons per container) to this "major" partner.

In addition to durian, Vietnamese lychee is also being positively received by other countries. Mr. Nguyen Khac Tien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ameii Vietnam Joint Stock Company, stated that in the Japanese market, this year, businesses are expected to increase lychee exports by about 30-50% compared to the same period last year. In the UK market, seedless lychee from Vietnam is being sold in supermarkets at prices ranging from 400,000 to 800,000 VND per kilogram.

For dragon fruit, the export of this fruit is also favorable and has achieved higher growth rates than previous years due to the increasing popularity of dragon fruit among Chinese consumers. Additionally, due to prolonged drought, the dragon fruit production of this country has declined, leading to increased imports of dragon fruit from Vietnam to meet domestic demand.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Trinh, Chairman of the Long An Dragon Fruit Association, further added: "Dragon fruit can regain its position as a billion-dollar fruit. From the end of last year until now, the selling price of dragon fruit has always been higher than the production cost, which has brought profits to farmers. With an average selling price of 20,000 VND/kg, farmers can earn about 400 million VND/ha/year."

Furthermore, there is also promising news for banana exports as the export turnover is expected to increase significantly this year. Last year, banana exports reached only 311 million USD, but this year, banana export revenue is projected to reach around 700-800 million USD.

It is forecasted that in the third and fourth quarters of 2023, our country will have nearly 7.6 million tons of various fruits that need to be consumed, such as mangoes, bananas, dragon fruit, pineapples, oranges, lychees, durians, jackfruits, avocados, etc. Therefore, with the current influx of fruit orders, we will certainly have enough supply to meet the full demand.

The Association of Fruit and Vegetable of Vietnam’s assessment suggests that if the current growth momentum is maintained, the export turnover of durian could reach the milestone of 1 billion USD by the end of 2023. As a result, the total export turnover of the entire fruit and vegetable industry could also reach 4 billion USD by the end of this year.

However, it cannot be denied that global giants increasingly have high demands for quality and other standards. Therefore, Vietnamese farmers and businesses must continuously enhance their capabilities, improve quality, and combine scientific and technological advancements to develop new plant varieties that meet the international standards of various countries.