According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, fruit and vegetable exports reached USD 1.12 billion in July, the highest monthly figure ever recorded by the sector.
Monthly fruit and vegetable export turnover has exceeded USD 1 billion for the first time (Photo: Nguyen Phe).
The growth is not only reflected in export value. The structure of shipments is also changing, with processed products accounting for an increasing share, particularly in distant markets with stringent requirements such as the European Union.
Figures from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association show that fruit and vegetable exports to the EU reached around USD 214.4 million in the first six months of the year, up 31.8 per cent from the same period last year. In June alone, exports to the market increased by 37.9 per cent.
One notable feature is the much higher proportion of processed products in the EU market compared with the sector as a whole. While processed goods currently account for around 30.85 per cent of Vietnam's total fruit and vegetable export value, the figure rises to nearly two-thirds in the EU.
The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association said deeper processing was becoming an important strategy for Vietnamese agricultural products to overcome the disadvantages posed by geographical distance.
Fresh produce exported to distant markets often faces high air-freight costs, while sea transport requires strict preservation and cold-chain technology.
Frozen, dried, pureed, processed and juiced products have longer shelf lives, reduce post-harvest losses and allow producers to make use of produce that may not meet the appearance standards required for fresh sales while remaining suitable for processing.
Several processed products are already recording strong growth. Exports of processed passion fruit reached USD 123.19 million, up 37.5 per cent, while potato exports rose 100.7 per cent and processed dragon fruit exports increased 50.1 per cent.
In Germany, one of the EU's major markets, the value of processed fruit and vegetable imports from Vietnam reached €28.24 million during the first five months of the year, an increase of 126 per cent.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, secretary-general of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said deeper processing could also help address the industry's persistent post-harvest losses.
Around 30-40 per cent of Vietnam's fruit and vegetables are currently lost after harvest, significantly higher than the estimated 10-15 per cent in Thailand, he said.
Despite the strong growth, the sector continues to face challenges.
Nguyen Thanh Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said major obstacles included technical standards, registration of growing-area codes, packing-house certification and limited investment capacity for processing.
The association has proposed further simplifying procedures for registering growing areas and packing facilities, while expanding certified cultivation areas and stepping up negotiations to open additional markets for Vietnamese agricultural products.