Vinamit has greater demand from Europe and the US while its sale in China reduces due to the influence of Chinese ‘Zero COVID-19’ policy. (Photo courtesy of Vinamit Joint Stock Company) Nguyen LamVien, General Director of Vinamit Joint Stock Company, said: “China isbecoming more and more strict in quality control, traceability, packaging.Their ‘Zero COVID-19’ policy makes it difficult for many fruit andvegetable exporters.”
“ForVinamit, with more than 20 years of experience in doing business in themarket, with carefully prepared planting area and standardprocessing and packaging, the strict disease control affects the fulfilmentprogress. The European and American markets currently have great demand,creating opportunities for businesses to push into these markets.”
NguyenVan Thu, General Director of GC Food Joint Stock Company (GC Food),said: “We are determined to invest methodically from the raw material areato the processing stage to enter new markets.”
Thuadded that the company invested in building a fruit and vegetable freezingfactory in Dak Lak province with a total capital of about 100 billionVND as the province is an area for many fruit materials such asavocado, mango, durian, which are suitable for the increasing consumptiondemand on the local and world markets.
Accordingto Thu’s company, although some traditional markets face difficultiesduring the recovery process, other markets have great demand for agriculturalproducts. The amount of exported processed products has doubled from 2021.
Asan enterprise with many years of exporting goods to the EU, Nguyen Dinh Tung,General Director of Vina T&T Joint Stock Company, said: “Vietnamesevegetables and fruits have many opportunities in the market because Vietnam isthe only country in the Asia-Pacific region to have a free tradeagreement with the EU.”
“Oncethe Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement took effect, the tax rate of someVietnamese vegetables and fruits entering the EU was reduced to 0 percent,creating a substantial competitive advantage comparedto other countries in the region.”
Tung said theEU has rigorous standards but capturing market share was not too difficultif enterprises could meet them. In the EU, Vina T&T does not face manycompetitors because the company has full certifications such as Global GAP,HACCP and SMETA and sales negotiations go smoothly.
Sincethe beginning of the year, the company’s fruit and vegetable exports to the EUhave increased sharply, especially grapefruit, coconut and dragonfruit. The company is planning to expand more products into EUsupermarkets.
Nguyen ThanhBinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that thelocal fruit and vegetable export market is shifting, adding that formany years China has always been Viet Nam’s largest fruit and vegetableexport market, accounting for 65-80 percent of the totalturnover of the industry.
However,in the first two months of the year, exports to China decreased by nearly19 percent from the same period last year, only reaching 260million USD.
Meanwhile,vegetable and fruit exports to the US increased by almost 70 percent, reaching 46million USD; the Republic of Korea increased by nearly 32 percent, reaching 25million USD; and Japan increased by 12 percent, reaching 23million USD. Vegetable and fruit exports to Australia increased by 45.7 percent,while the Netherlands increased by 51.5 percent.
Binh saidthe market shift positively affected the fruit and vegetableindustry. The US, EU, Australia, the UK, Japan, and Canada wereamong markets evaluated with great potential.
Ministerof Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that Vietnam’sadvantage in free trade agreements would help fruit and vegetable exportersquickly access world markets in rapidly recovering demand.
Theminister said the EU was the largest fruit and vegetable importmarket globally, but the amount of vegetables and fruits imported from Vietnamonly accounted for a minimal amount, less than 1 percent.
Accordingto MARD, the US has just officially licensed the import of many Vietnamesefruits, creating favourable conditions for enterprises toexpand their exports./.
VNA
