Vietnam has ideal climate for growing a variety of fruits all year round, but competitiveness and value of Vietnamese fruit export are not high due to unorganized and small-scale cultivation.
The country has about 776,000 hectares of orchards, producing 7-8 million tons of fruits per year, but the fruit export turnover reached only US$300 million while the total agricultural exports amounted US$15.3 billion in 2009.
Dr. Nguyen Minh Chau, head of Southern Fruit Research Institute, said though Vietnam’s Chin Hoa and Ri-6 durians, and Hoa Loc mangoes have high-quality, the country can’t boost export as the yield of them is unstable for year-round export.
Nguyen Van Thuc, deputy head of Hoa Loc Co-operative in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, said, “After Hoa Loc mangoes had met export standards and been exported to the Japanese market, many importers have contacted the cooperative. However, the cooperative has refused many contracts because the produce of high-quality mangoes is not high.”
An official from the Tien Giang Province’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department said European and Asian importers have suggested Vietnamese exporters signing long-term contracts to supply them with large volume of Lo ren star apples and Cho Gao dragon fruits, but Vietnamese exporters have refused as they can’t supply sufficient quantity.
Nguyen Van Khang, vice chairman of the Tien Giang Province People’s Committee, said Vietnam fruits have great potential for export but investment in growing, processing and exporting them is not much.
Dr. Chau said provinces are currently in need of cold and cooling storehouses to preserve fruits for export, but so far there has not been any policy to encourage investment in building these facilities.
