Exports of fruits in Vietnam have continuously grown, reaching US$3.8 billion in 2018 and aiming at $4.5 billion by 2020. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), vegetables in general and fruits in particular have a great potential for export because global demand for vegetables and fruits is extremely high. However, import countries have set up several technical barriers about food safety, forcing exporters to comply with.
Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta which has strength in fruit trees has focused on developing centralized fruit growing area for years hereby establishing mango growing area in Cao Lanh District and Cao Lanh City, mandarin orange growing area in Lai Vung District and longan growing area in Chau Thanh District. The province also organizes production by connecting farmers, cooperatives and firms to meet export demand.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Thap Province said that the province’s fruit production reaches 300,000 tons annually. Besides domestic consumption, fruits are exported to South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and China. Recently, the province has exported 8 tons of mangoes to the US. This is the first batch of Vietnamese mangoes that are officially allowed to be exported to this choosy market.
According to Mr. Le Quoc Doanh, deputy minister of the MARD, Vietnamese mangoes have been exported to 40 countries in the world, including demanding markets such as Japan, South Korea, the EU, Australia and Canada and now have entered the US market. In order to enter the US market, Vietnamese authorities sent application requesting the US to open door for Vietnamese mangoes in 2009. During the past years, plant quarantine agencies of the two countries had had several technical discussions in order to reach an agreement on conditions for mangoes to be imported and plans to treat mangoes by irradiation before exporting from Vietnam.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, head of the Department of International Cooperation under the Department of Plant Protection, said that in order for fresh mangoes to be exported to the US, provinces and firms have had to meet several strict requirements. As Vietnamese mangoes are accepted in the US market, prospects for export of fruits have become more optimistic.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung, vice chairman of Dong Thap Province’s People’s Committee, said that by entering a choosy market like the US market, mangoes will help to increase profits and economic efficiency for farmers. However, it requires farmers to maintain the quality of the fruit and keep connection with firms in production, harvest, processing and packing in order to continue to export this kind of fruit to the US in the future. They should not be subjective and reckless although they have entered this demanding market.
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Source: SaigonGiaiPhong
