Vietnamese vegetables and fruits are sold a lot in the fastidious markets of the US and EU

(KTSG Online) – In the context of a sharp decline in the largest market in China, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports are increasing in most other markets, including markets that require very high standards such as the US. , EU or Japan…

With the total export turnover of 9 months down by over 11% over the same period last year, it is likely that by the end of this year, the fruit and vegetable industry will only achieve a turnover of about 3.2 billion USD.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen (left cover) and speakers discuss opportunities and challenges of Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable industry after the pandemic in the framework of the HortEx Vietnam 2023 Kick-off Conference.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association said the above at the opening conference of the International Exhibition on Production and Processing of Vietnamese Vegetables, Flowers and Fruits (HortEx Vietnam 2023) on October 11th. in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Mr. Nguyen, in the first 9 months of this year, Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports only reached about $2.45 billion, down 11% over the same period last year.

Notably, China has been the largest import market of Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits for many years (over 50% to nearly 60% of the total export value), but in the past 9 months, it has decreased by 35% compared to the previous 9 months. with the same period last year.

The reason is that this world’s most populous country has applied the Zero Covid policy as well as “technical barriers” to imports through the application of orders 248, 249 with many strict regulations to control and avoid the spread of the virus. cross-contamination of Covid-19 through goods and packaging. On the other hand, enterprises exporting agricultural products of Vietnam in recent years have also been severely affected when many border gates with China have temporarily suspended customs clearance or restricted the import of goods.

Other export markets are also affected by the pandemic situation and international politics.

Mr. Do Quoc Hung, Deputy Director General of the Asia-Africa Market Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade), said that although Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports have been present in 60 countries, they mainly focus on a few large markets such as China. China, Northeast Asia, the European Union (EU) and Southeast Asia. Total export turnover is just over $3.5 billion/year, accounting for less than 1.4% of the total value of the world’s fruit and vegetable import market.

According to Mr. Hung, one of the limitations of exporting fruits and vegetables is that they have not diversified their markets, relying too much on large markets; when the big market was in trouble, it immediately affected Vietnam’s exports.

However, at the event, according to Mr. Nguyen, in the context of a sharp decline in exports in the major market in China, domestic agricultural enterprises in the past 9 months have been active and flexible in diversifying. export market while improving product quality.

“Although exports to China decreased, the bright spot of the fruit and vegetable industry this year is that businesses have made good use of free trade agreements to bring vegetables and fruits to these markets,” Nguyen said. , and said, “Thanks to that, most other export markets in the same period experienced high growth compared to the same period last year”.

Notably, according to Mr. Nguyen, “fastidious” export markets that require high standards and quality such as the US, EU, Japan, etc. have increased their imports of vegetables and fruits from Vietnam.