Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports surged to a record high in 2023, yet insiders said it is just a start as ample room remains for the sector.

Vietnam has shipped approximately 2.22 billion USD worth of durian products overseas in 2023, with increasing demand noticed in non-traditional markets.

As China is opening its market for some Vietnamese fruits, it will bring billions of dollars in exports next year and help Vietnam's fruit and vegetable industry to set new records.

In light of the recent incident involving the destruction of two shipments of Vietnamese durians and peppers by the Japanese authorities, the vulnerability of Vietnamese agricultural exporters remains a pressing concern.

The first batch of 16 tons of “Dien” pomelos from Luong Son district, the northern province of Hoa Binh, was exported to the U.S. on December 5.

Developed economies which import carrots, litchis and other fruits from Vietnam have imposed non-tariff barriers that have caused difficulties for Vietnam’s fruits to penetrate the markets.

Fruit and vegetable exports have hit a new record and forecast to bring home over 5.5 billion USD in 2023.

China is the largest export market of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, accounting for nearly 65 per cent of the total fruit and vegetable export value, according to Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association.

Vietnam’s turnover of vegetable and fruit exports to China has seen double-digit growth since the beginning of the year, maintaining China's position as the largest importer of these products.

Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports in the first nine months of the year are predicted to reach US$4.1 billion, representing a rise of nearly 70% on-year and 24% higher than the entire last year.

To increase competitiveness, farmers, businesses and management agencies need to work together to standardize the production process and build a durian brand.

The number of trucks carrying export fruit stranded at border gates in Lang Son Province has surged in recent days, according to local news reports.

The Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point has not received any warning from the UK about dragon fruit exported from VN that it violates food safety regulations, said deputy director of the agency Ngo Xuan Nam.

Vietnam’s coconut export are expected to reach 1 billion USD in 2025 after the US and China agree to allow Vietnamese coconuts to enter the two markets, according to President of the Vietnam Coconut Association Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh.

Insufficient management on planting area codes and packaging agents has led to consistent warnings being issued to Vietnamese fruits by exporting countries.

Visitors to Tops supermarket at CentralwOrld, a shopping plaza and complex based in Bangkok (Thailand) are able to purchase Vietnamese longans as of August 18.

Vietnam earned US$1.1 billion from durian exports during the first seven months of the year, usurping dragon fruit which has been the country’s leading fruit export item.

Fruit and vegetable exports have been worth US$3.25 billion in the year-to-date, a 68.8 per cent increase year-on-year and already in excess of the 2022 figure of $3.16 billion.

Fresh Vietnamese passion fruit and coconut have huge export opportunities to Australia and China via official channels, according to the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

A Vietnamese Minister has called on the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to remove difficulties and swiftly open the market for Vietnamese agricultural products, including passion fruit and pomelo.