Six-Month Agriculture Exports Reach Near-Parity with Last Year's Total

According to the Vietnam Fruits & Vegetables Association (Vinafruit), exports of vegetables and fruits have experienced a significant surge of 63% year-on-year in the first six months, amounting to almost $2.8 billion, which is equivalent to 90% of last year’s total.

The increase in this month alone was 79%, reaching $723 million, which can be attributed to the substantial contribution of durian and dragon fruit. Dang Phuc Nguyen, the General Secretary of Vinafruit, has stated that with June not yet over, more exports value is expected to be recorded in the upcoming days, and the six-month figure could reach $3 billion, compared to $3.16 billion total last year. He also believes that this means exports in 2023 can reach a new historic record of $4 billion. Vietnamese fruits have been gaining popularity in the international market, particularly in China, which accounted for nearly 63.5% of Vietnam’s exports in the first five months with a purchase value of $1.3 billion, up 12.4% year-on-year.

While strong growth was also recorded in South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands, exports to the U.S. fell 12% year-on-year. Durian exports in the first five months experienced an 18-fold increase year-on-year, amounting to over $503 million, after Vietnam was approved to export fresh durian to China last year.