Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export was over US$2.06 billion in the first half of this year, up 17.4% year-on-year, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (VinaFruit) said.

Competent forces of Vietnam and China on June 2 reached consensus on plant quarantine to simplify procedures and shorten customs clearance time for fresh fruit exports.

More than 3,600 tonnes of fresh lychees from the northern provinces of Hai Duong, Bac Giang and Vinh Phuc were exported to China via Lao Cai province’s Kim Thanh II international border gate from May 8 to 24.

Free trade agreements are opening the doors for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable firms to increase export revenue this year, according to the Vietnam Fruit & Vegetables Association (VinaFruit).

Fruit and vegetable exporters should improve their processing technologies, especially in the post-harvest and packaging stages, to preserve their products longer and enhance their value, experts said.

Vietnam expects to gain US$8-10 billion from shipping fruits and vegetables abroad, with revenue of processed products accounting for at least 30% of the total by 2030.

Vietnamese businesses are believed to possess opportunities, especially in niche markets, when exporting fruit and vegetables to Northern Europe, according to the Cong Thuong (Industry & Trade) newspaper.

Vietnam’s exports of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries products grew 27.1% year-on-year to US$3.49 billion in January.

Vietnam earned US$3.26 billion from exporting fruit and vegetables in 2020, a year-on-year decline of 13%, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has reported.

In the first 11 months of this year dragon fruit exports fell by 10% because of the COVID-19 pandemic but still dominated Vietnamese fruit exports with shipments of more than US$1 billion.