Vietnam’s fruit export turnover dropped dramatically from $329.9 million in 2001 to $123.2 million in 2004, Doctor Vo Mai, President of the Vietnam Fruit Association said at a conference held in Mekong Delta Can Tho City.
The conference was aimed at seeking measures to promote Vietnamese agricultural exports.
Quality, pricing, and lack of product identity have been at the heart of Vietnam’s declining fruit exports over the past few years, Dr. Mai said.
To deal with the problem, Vietnam fruit growers need to apply for trademarks, he said, citing the success of Hoang Gia Company with its well-known Nam Roi Pomelo (grapefruit).
Unfortunately, most fruit companies in the country usually did not take the effort to register for trademarks, Mai said.
High prices compared with fruits from major fruit exporters like Thailand also forced Vietnam to consider farming techniques including selecting high-quality strains as well as modernizing management, experts said.
For the country to expand markets in Japan, the US, and Europe where customers required clean, high-quality products, Vietnamese fruit producers must focus on improving technology, they said.
Other methods discussed at the conference include developing close relationships between foreign partners and producers as well as building systems for market information and trade promotion.
From now to 2010, the demand for vegetables and fruit in the global market will increase 3.6 per cent yearly, with China needing more than 10 million tons per year, said Do Thang Hai, Deputy Head of the Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Trade.
Hai also reported that export volumes of Vietnamese agricultural products increased 13 per cent annually in the past 10 years.
Vietnamese fruit exports have now expanded to South Korea, Japan, the European Union, and the South East Asia region in addition to China as a long-standing market.
Young People
Vietnamese
