NDO/VNA – Vietnam earned US$3.26 billion from exporting fruit and vegetables in 2020, a year-on-year decline of 13%, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has reported.
Exports were down because many items with high export value saw volumes fall sharply, such as dragon fruit, which accounts for about 36% of total export value but fell nearly 10% in volume, bananas (down 13%), durian (56%), lychee (22%), and watermelon (36%).
Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (VINAFRUIT), attributed the result to declining imports from China, saying it imported 25% less fruit and vegetables than in 2019.
He noted, however, that exports to other countries still posted stable growth, such as Thailand (140%), the US and the Republic of Korea (both 11%), and Japan (5%).
Fruit and vegetable exports were severely influenced by the development of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, Nguyen said.
According to MARD, Vietnam also spent US$1.29 billion on importing fruit and vegetables last year, down 27.5% against 2019.
China, the US, and Australia are Vietnam’s largest providers, the ministry said.
- Fruit and vegetable exports down over 12 percent in first seven months
- Fruit and vegetable exports reach nearly US$2.72 billion in ten months
- Fruit, vegetable exports fetch 2.5 billion USD in nine months
- Fruit and vegetable exports to demanding markets enjoy sharp surge
- Fruit, vegetable exports rise 17.4% in H1
- 7-month fruit and vegetable exports fetch nearly USD2 billion
- Fruit, vegetable exporters need to focus on policy changes: conference
- VN fruit, vegetable exporters need to be on top of Chinese policy changes: conference
- Vegetable, fruit exports reach US$2.5 billion in nine months
