Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export in 2016 hit 2.4 billion USD,representing an increase of 30 percent from 2015 and exceeding the year targetof 2.2 billion USD set by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
According to theVietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, the result was attributable toefforts to seek new markets and keep traditional markets.
In 2016, five typesof fruits gained entry to four new markets - mangoes to Australia, dragonfruits to Taiwan (China), longans and lychees to Thailand and cashew to Peru,thus expanding the market for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable to more than 60countries and territories.
China continuesto be the largest market for Vietnam’s fruits and vegetables, accounting foraround 70 percent, followed by the Republic of Korea, the United States andJapan.
Bui Sy Doanh,from the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, said the department would continue stepping up negotiationson technical barriers to help more Vietnamese fruits and vegetables enter selectivemarkets like the US, Japan and Australia.
In 2017, Vietnamhopes to win import approval of Australia for its dragon fruits, approval of Japanfor red-flesh dragon fruits and that of the US for star apples.
Nguyen Huu Datfrom the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association emphasized the need tofurther improve post-harvest preservation and processing technologies to meet demandsfor quality and diverse products in foreign markets.-VNA
