This year, the export turnover of fruit and vegetables will be around US$350 million, up 17 percent compared to last year’s figure. China remains Vietnam’s major import market and account for 60 percent of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetable exports.

Currently, some EU countries are beginning to import fruit and vegetables from Vietnam instead of China and Thailand.

Recently, a cooperative programme has been signed between the HCM City Agricultural Consultancy and Support Centre (HCACS) and Holland's Centre for the Promotion of Exports to the EU market. Under the programme, farmers in HCM City and neighbouring provinces will receive support to build a processing plant and implement a standard production procedure. The Director of HCACS said that the programme will be carried out from now untill 2010 with a view to increasing the export turnover of fruit and vegetables to the EU market to around US$1 billion.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the nation’s fruit and vegetable crops will increase to around 1 million hectares by 2010, with an annual output of around 10 million of tonnes.