Fruit and vegetable exports in 2023 will earn nearly 5.6 billion USD

According to data from the General Department of Customs, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable export turnover in December reached over 379 million USD, up 1.8% over the previous month and up 23.8% over the same period in 2022; bringing the fruit and vegetable export turnover for the whole year of 2023 to over 5.573 billion USD, up 65.6% over 2022.

2023 là năm chứng kiến quá trình “đổi ngôi” trong ngành rau quả. Vượt qua thanh long, sầu riêng đã trở thành mặt hàng có doanh số xuất khẩu cao nhất

2023 is the year that witnessed the "changing of thrones" in the fruit and vegetable industry. Surpassing dragon fruit, durian has become the product with the highest export revenue.

The top 10 export markets for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables are China, the United States, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the Netherlands, Taiwan (China), Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Russia.

In particular, China is still Vietnam's largest fruit and vegetable import market with an 11-month turnover of 3.4 billion USD, an increase of nearly 250% in value and 65% in market share compared to the same period in 2022.

In terms of varieties, 2023 is the year that witnessed the "change of throne" in the fruit and vegetable industry. Surpassing dragon fruit, durian has become the product with the highest export turnover,

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen - General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association - said that the increase in fruit and vegetable export turnover in 2023 is thanks to Vietnam signing many export protocols to markets, especially the Chinese market. Along with that is the remarkable growth in durian exports, this is a high-value fruit, favored by China.

“Before 2021, durian exports were only about 200 million USD/year. Since July 2022, durian has been officially exported to this market, and durian export turnover has accelerated. In 2022, durian exports reached 420 million USD. It is expected that durian exports in 2023 will reach 2.3 billion USD, 5 times higher than in 2022 and 10 times higher than in 2021. Obviously, thanks to the Protocol, durian exports have achieved such brilliant results,” said Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen.

Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is stepping up negotiations to allow Vietnam's fresh chili and coconut to be officially exported to the Chinese market. Along with Vietnam's frozen durian, which may be allowed to be exported to this country, the export turnover of fruits and vegetables in 2024 is forecast to increase significantly.

According to experts, the demand for durian in a market of 1.4 billion people like China is huge. And all durian exporting countries in Southeast Asia are still not enough to meet this market. Meanwhile, compared to other countries in the region, Vietnamese durian exported to China has many competitive advantages in logistics and quality.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien - Director of the Agricultural Trade Promotion Center (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) - commented that there is still a lot of room for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables to penetrate deeper into the Chinese market. " If we go deeper into the inland localities of China, we will see that the demand of people here for Vietnamese fruits such as durian, mango and other fruits is still very high" , Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien shared.

It can be said that the "jump" of durian in particular and some key fruit products will be a catalyst, an important driving force for the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable industry to realize its ambition of earning billions of dollars more, becoming a "powerhouse" in fruit and vegetable exports globally.

However, to materialize that ambition, these industries need to make important “leaps”, especially in complying with quality standards, promoting trade activities, and promoting brands. This is also an important time for businesses in the fruit and vegetable industry to recognize their limitations and overcome them in order to move forward.

According to Mr. Nguyen, to achieve high results in durian exports next year and catch up with Thailand, Vietnam needs to boost frozen durian exports.

“The economic situation is changing, and it is likely that Chinese people will tighten their spending, leading to a not-so-sudden increase in durian exports next year. On the other hand, around May 2024, Malaysia will be allowed to export fresh durian to China,” Mr. Nguyen analyzed and predicted that Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export turnover in 2024 will reach 6 billion USD.

From a business perspective, Ms. Ngo Tuong Vy, General Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Corporation, said that we are not only competing with Thailand and Malaysia. Countries such as Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, etc. are increasing durian cultivation. If we do not change and improve, no one can predict what will happen.

Sharing the same view on this issue, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen emphasized that negotiating for durian to be officially exported to China is not a matter of a day or two. Therefore, businesses need to cherish this opportunity and maintain Vietnam's reputation. Look at Chile and Thailand, which can stay in China by maintaining their reputation and product quality. If we do not improve ourselves, the fruit and vegetable industry may fall behind.

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