Despite Covid-19’s impact in the first quarter of 2021, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports value showed positive growth of 6.1% year-on-year, reaching USD 944 million. In addition to the increasing turnover, there was also a greater diversification in export markets, nudging the South East Asian nation to improve the quality of their products to meet the standards required by destination markets.
China remains Vietnam’s top destination for agricultural products exports. Besides China, other major markets for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables are the United States, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Newer markets include Egypt, Kuwait, Ukraine, and Senegal.
According to Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Vegetables Association, the increasing export performance of Vietnamese fruit and vegetable is in part due to the new-generation free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). At the same time, Vietnam’s success in keeping Covid-19 transmission rates under control has prevented any major disruption to export activities.
Regarding the current shortcomings of Vietnam’s agricultural sector, origin tracing and post-harvest processing limitations remain problematic. To meet the standards raised by importing markets, Vietnam’s agricultural sector is seeking solutions to address these challenges and work towards the export target of USD 10 billion by 2030.
(Sources: Horti Daily; Hanoi Times)