Ample room remains for Vietnam’s fruit exports to Thailand

The forum, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in Thailand and the Vietnam Fruit Association (VinaFruit), was intended to promote the presence of Vietnamese fruits in the Thai market.

VinaFruit President Nguyen Thanh Binh said fruits account for 10-20% of Vietnam’s total agricultural product exports, adding that Vietnamese fruits have been shipped to more than 70 countries and territories worldwide.  

Le Thi Mai Anh, director of the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)’s Asia-Pacific Market Department, suggested the two sides step up cooperation in high-tech and organic agriculture, processing industry and building production and supply chains for agricultural products to boost exports to third countries, thus helping to raise the position of both Vietnam and Thailand in the regional and global supply chains.

Nguyen Thanh Huy, head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Thailand, noted that Vietnamese products, particularly coffee, fruits and handicrafts, have been increasingly popular in Thailand.  

He suggested Vietnamese enterprises study local consumers' taste more carefully to make suitable adjustments in their production, pushing the penetration of Vietnamese fruits and fruit products into Thailand.

Paul Le, vice chairman of Central Retail Vietnam, a subordinate company of Thailand’s Central Group, said Vietnam should pay more attention to packaging and diversifying fruit products, and suggested organising Vietnamese fruit festivals in Thailand.