In mid-June, Vietnam’s litchis officially hit the supermarket shelves in Japan, priced at VND500,000 per kilogram and selling out after several hours.

Passion fruit, pomelo, dragon fruit and fresh coconut have been exported to Europe in large quantities under the EVFTA, which took effect this year.

Meeting quality standards and enjoying preferential tariffs from the new EVFTA, Vietnam’s key farm produce such as rice, fruit, coffee and seafood are rushing to head for the EU market.

Hung Yen’s farmers are proud of Hung Yen longan, the ‘fruit of the King’ which satisfies strict requirements on food safety and is exported to many countries, bringing revenue of trillions of dong a year.

Booth avocado, the specialty of Dak Lak province, is now selling at VND10,000-20,000 per kilogram, and the price of passion fruit has also fallen dramatically.

Northern farmers have been advised to increase the winter crop growing area and increase exports to China, in anticipation of a farm produce shortage there caused by severe floods.

Exporting $43 billion worth of farm, forestry and seafood produce this year has been a difficult task, though the situation improved when European and regional countries began reopening their markets.

Vietnamese exports of agricultural products must meet food safety, quality and traceability requirements to China which now requires that exports be sent through official channels only.