In the first 6 months of the year, South Korea spent more than 164 million USD (4,100 billion VND) to buy fruits and vegetables from Vietnam, an increase of nearly 55% over the same period last year.
According to Vietnam Customs, South Korea is the second largest market, after China, in importing Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, accounting for about 5% of the total fruit and vegetable export market share.
The three main agricultural products that contributed significantly to the export turnover to Korea were bananas, mangoes and sesame seeds. Of which, banana exports reached 35.4 million USD, nearly three times higher than the same period last year. Mango exports reached 24 million USD, up 72%, and sesame seeds reached nearly 30 million USD, up 62%.
In addition, other items such as dragon fruit, watermelon, shiitake mushrooms, durian and pineapple also recorded strong growth from 40% to 217% over the same period. In particular, the export of almonds, a Vietnamese nut, reached nearly 2 million USD, an increase of 244 times.
Banana processing factory of Hoang Anh Gia Lai. Photo: Thi Ha
A representative of a banana exporting enterprise in Gia Lai said that their products are increasingly winning the hearts of Korean consumers and are widely available in major supermarket chains such as Lotte Mart. Bananas grown in the highlands of Lo Pang commune, Mang Yang district, Gia Lai province, are known for their thick skin and rich sweetness.
Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that the import of fruits and vegetables from Korea is constantly growing. It is expected that in the first 7 months of the year, the import turnover of fruits and vegetables from Vietnam to Korea will reach 190 million USD and is likely to continue to increase strongly during the year-end holidays.
For bananas alone, the Korean market size is over 300 million USD per year. Therefore, this fruit still has a lot of potential to grow and expand its market share in this country.
According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Korea, in addition to bananas, items such as watermelon, pineapple, strawberry, grape, mango and jackfruit are also of interest to consumers in this country. To compete with other countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, Vietnamese goods need to meet food safety and hygiene standards and be packaged in accordance with the requirements of the host country.