Fruit, veggie imports see 46 pct Jan-May spike

Vietnam imported $878 million worth of fruits and vegetables in the first five months of 2019, up 46 percent year-on-year.

Thailand was the biggest fruit exporter to Vietnam. Photo by Reuters.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Thailand was the biggest fruit exporter to Vietnam, accounting for 45.11 percent of the market share, followed by China, the U.S. and Australia which accounted for 19.06, 10.6 and 7.83 percent respectively.

During the same period, Vietnam exported double the amount of fruits and vegetables at $1.83 billion, up 10.3 percent over last year.

Of late, Vietnam’s fruits and vegetables exports have successfully entered highly regulated markets like the U.S., New Zealand and Australia.

However, experts have warned that Vietnam should still prioritize China as it is the country’s biggest market and has very high consumer demand, given its 1.3 billion population and the loss of farmland to industrial development in recent decades.