Hanoi (VNA) - Fruit, vegetable export o🃏f Vietnam reached 1.35 billion USD in the first four months of this year, up 9.5 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In April alone, Vietnam raked in 380 million USD from exporting fruit and vegetables. Dragon fruit recorded the highest export value among the key for-export fruit and vegetables with 329.4 million USD, accounting for 34.1 percent of the total value, a year-on-year increase of 3.2 percent. It was followed by mango with 125.2 million USD, and banana with 80 million USD, up 30.6 percent and 35.2 percent against the same period last year, respectively. Other agricultural products seeing high export values included coconut (64 million USD, up 13 percent), jackfruit (57.6 million USD, up 63.8 percent), lemon (32.4 million USD, up 0.8 percent) and watermelon (32.2 million USD, up 28.1 percent). China remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese vegetables and fruit in the January-April period, accounting for 64.7 percent of the market share. The neighbouring country spent 610.8 million USD on importing vegetables and fruit from Vietnam, up 16.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Ukraine was Vietnam's export market with the strongest growth in fruit and vegetable export value, (6.97 times). In contrast, the market recording the largest decrease was Saudi Arabia (down 62 percent). Notably, Vietnam’s export of fruit and vegetables to Taiwan (China) was stable in the period. Vietnam has promoted export of a number of products such macadamia nuts, walnuts, longan, mango, banana, tamarind, and coconut to the market. However, the proportion of exports to the country remained low, not commensurate with potential. The MARD said due to the hot weather in the second quarter, fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables are being consumed strongly. The Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development under the MARD forecasts that Vietnam's vegetable and fruit exports to the Taiwanese market will continue to grow in the near future thank to seasonal factors. In the first four months of 2021, cultivation took place in more favourable conditions compared to the same period last year. Several summer fruits began to be harvested, including Son La plum, U Hong litchi, and U Trung litchi. In April, the fruit market was less volatile than the previous month. Prices of many fruits were stable in the northern region, while some southern fruits increased or decreased slightly. The MARD said the fruit and vegetable industry needs to pay more attention to promoting export of fruits and nuts because this is a group with high competitive advantages which can help increase export value. Export businesses should also focus on investing in fruit and vegetable processing, and seeking to promote export to markets with high economic value, thus increasing export value, it added. Vietnam imported 451.1 million USD worth of fruits and vegetables in the reviewed period, up 19.4 percent year-on-year. China, the US and Myanmar were the largest suppliers of fruits and vegetables for s Vietnam in the first three months of 2021. Vegetables and fruits are the commodities witnessing impressive export growths of the agricultural sector for many years with an average growth of 14.1 percent in the 2016-2020 period. According to a project on development of fruit and vegetable processing industry in the period of 2021-2030, Vietnam sets to earn 8-10 billion USD from exporting vegetables and fruit by 2030. Vietnam boasts about 1.05 million ha of orchards with a total output of 12.6 million tonnes. Vietnamese fruit products have been sold at many countries around the world. The Plant Protection Department of the MARD has granted 998 for-export fruit growing area codes serving the export of fruit to high-quality markets such as the US, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, the European Union and Japan. Additionally, this agency has also issued 47 packaging facility codes for agricultural products exported to these markets./.