Talk to VnExpressMr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, predicted that this year will be a new record year for processed fruit and vegetable exports with a turnover of 1.4-1.5 billion USD. Although the growth rate of this group is slower than that of fresh fruit and vegetables, they still contribute significantly to stabilizing prices and increasing the value of goods.
“Processed fruits and vegetables not only help extend shelf life but also increase the value of goods 3-4 times compared to fresh products,” he said.
Vietnam signed a protocol on August 19 to officially export frozen durian and fresh coconut to China. According to businesses, this will be an important boost for Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports, especially processed products.
Mr. Nguyen Lam Vien, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Vinamit Joint Stock Company, who has more than 30 years of experience exporting dried fruit to China, said that the company has planned to export frozen durian to this market this year, focusing on the modern supermarket channel.
“The signing of the protocol in August is a favorable condition for Vinamit to accelerate export progress in the fourth quarter. Frozen durian is expected to contribute positively to the company’s processed product revenue,” he said.
GC Food’s aloe vera processing factory in Ninh Thuan. Photo: Linh Dan
Similarly, GC Food Joint Stock Company (GC Food) is also taking advantage of this opportunity to expand exports of processed products such as coconut jelly and aloe vera to China.
Nguyen Diep Phap, Deputy General Director of GC Food’s International Business Division, said that this is a potential market this year and if things go well, export activities will have new steps forward.
According to customs data, in the first seven months of the year, Vietnam’s processed fruit and vegetable exports reached about 800 million USD, up 11.4% over the same period last year. Major markets such as the US, China, EU, Japan and South Korea are in high demand for dried fruit, coconut jelly, juices and canned goods. Of these, healthy natural products such as coconut products led the way with a turnover of 130 million USD, up 53% over the same period last year.
Durian at a company’s packaging factory in the West. Photo: Linh Dan
Thanks to the increase in processed fruit and vegetable exports, prices of agricultural products such as coconut, mango, banana and jackfruit have remained stable in the first half of this year. In particular, when Vietnam’s frozen durian gains a foothold in the Chinese market, this fruit is likely to increase in value and position even further.
In addition to the Chinese market, the General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association also stated that processed fruits and vegetables are having many advantages when exporting to Northeast Asian markets such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. These markets have high GDP and are willing to spend on health protection products. Therefore, Vietnam’s processed fruits and vegetables have great potential for development.
However, according to him, geopolitical fluctuations in the Middle East and economic recessions in major markets such as Japan, Korea, and the EU could affect business profits. In particular, raw material prices for processed products are increasing significantly. To control agricultural product prices, Mr. Nguyen recommends that businesses need to expand raw material areas, manage quality from seedlings to production and processing, ensuring that products are always of high quality.
The Government and ministries and sectors also need to support localities in planning processing zones and providing investment incentive policies, capital support and technology transfer for the sustainable development of the processing industry, contributing to stabilizing output for farmers.