Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam earned 2.5 billion USD fromexporting fruit and vegetable in the first nine months of 2020, representing ayear-on-year drop of 11 percent, according to the Import-Export Departmentunder the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The department reported that in August, the export revenueof the sector was contributed by exports of various kinds of fruits, includingdragon fruit, mango, banana, coconut, jackfruit, durian, passion fruit, andlongan.
Despite a fall in processed passion fruit, there is greatpotential for the export of fresh fruit thanks to Vietnam’s advantages.
The enforcement of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement(EVFTA) is anticipated to enhance the competitive edge of local firms incomparison to regional rivals such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, orSouth American countries with similar weather conditions such as Peru andEcuador.
During the reviewed period, Thailand also imported 129,000tonnes of fresh coconuts worth 50.4 million USD from Vietnam, marking anannual rise of 377.7 percent in volume and 781.3 percent in value.
Vietnam isAsia’s fifth largest producer of fruits and vegetables with its products available in morethan 60 countries worldwide.
Data from theMinistry of Industry and Trade revealed that Vietnam’s shipments of fruits andvegetables to the EU stood at 2.26 billion USD in the first eight months ofthis year, a decrease of 11.3 percent from a year earlier, due to COVID-19./.