Boosting fruit exports to the EU and US, why not?

Vietnam is thinking of boosting fruit exports to the US and the EU, but in order to do that, it will have to overcome many barriers.

Vietnam’s fruits have been present in 50 countries and territories with the export turnover reaching $439 million in 2009. To date, Asia remains the main export market for Vietnam. In recent years, Vietnam has been attempting to expand the export markets, while targeting the two most important markets, the EU and the US.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the demand for tropical fruits in the world market has been increasing. In the period of 2001-2010, the annual demand for fruits in the world increases by 3.6 percent, while the output increases by 2.8 percent.

Europe remains the biggest fruit importer of the world, they import 8.4 million tonnes of fruits every year. Banana is the main import product item by the EU which accounts for 65 percent of the bloc’s total imports. Meanwhile, the US is the second biggest importer in the world which consumes 12 million tonnes of fresh fruits, including oranges, grapes, apples and bananas. The US’ production can meet only 70 percent of its demand.

Admitting that the US and the EU markets are the two markets with great potentials, but Vietnamese exporters have been told that they have to meet many requirements in order to be eligible for exporting products there. Especially, they will have to compete with cheap products from Thailand and China in the two markets.

According to John Hey, Editor in Chief of Asiafruit, food safety now proves to be the most important requirement for fruit quality. Vietnam needs to pay special attention to posting the origin of products, while Global GAP (good agricultural practice) certificate should be seen as the minimum standard for fruits to enter the two markets.

Mr John Hey has predicted that in five or 10 years, the EU market will be even more complicated, while the standards will be stricter, relating to the social responsibility and product quality.

Similarly, he said that the US proves to be a market with great potentials, but it is very difficult to penetrate. The market sets very strict vegetation quarantine. For example, the US requests export companies to radiate tropical fruits and the process is very costly.

Another challenge which Vietnamese producers and exporters have to overcome is that they have to maintain the high quality of fruits when carrying fruits to the far markets. It takes 15 days to carry thanh long (dragon fruits) to the EU, while it takes 7-10 days to sell dragon fruits at supermarkets. This means that it will take 25 days to bring fruits to consumers, while the dragon fruits have the best quality just within 20 days after they are harvested. Meanwhile, it will be too costly to carry dragon fruits by air.

Mr John Hey believes that Vietnam has opportunities to export fruits to Europe and the US, because Vietnam has year-round fruits. He pointed out that besides pomelo, Vietnam can export many other types of fruits such as dragon fruit, mango, mangosteen and longan

Regarding the US market, Nguyen Huu Dat, a senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that after dragon fruit, which now can enter the US market, Vietnam is preparing to bring longan, litchis and rambutan to the US market.

Thoi bao Kinh te Vietnam

Tags: Vietnam Fruit exports