The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has just co-operated with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam and the Dong Thap People’s Committee to hold a seminar to foster mango exports.
Vietnam ranks 13th worldwide in mango productivity. Photo for illustration.
According to MARD, the country now ranks the 13th globally in mango production with a total area of 87,000 hectares. Last year, the country’s total mango productivity was around 893,201 tonnes, up 6.5% on-year.
The Mekong Delta region accounts for up to 48% of the country’s total mango area. The region produced 567,732 tonnes last year.
In 2020, the country’s mango export value was estimated at USD180.8 million, down 9% on-year, which has been attributed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. China was Vietnam’s biggest mango importer in the year with a value of USD151.8 million USD, down 4.18% on-year.
It was followed by Russia with USD8.4 million and Papua New Guinea with USD5.5 million. The runners-up were the US, South Korea, EU and Japan.
Nguyen Quoc Toan, director-general of the General Department for Agricultural Products Processing and Market Development under the MARD, said that Vietnam needs to meet the requirements of mango importers, ranging from plantation, purchase, processing, packaging, preservation and export.
The MARD will create channels to help connect mango growers, co-operatives and exporters and foreign partners.
At the meeting, deputy minister of agriculture and rural development Tran Thanh Nam said that it was important to expand the application of Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) and Global Good Agricultural Practice (GlobalGAP).