New figures released by Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have revealed that fresh produce exports climbed 5.4 per cent through the first 11 months of 2009, up to US$388m (€261m).
Fruit and Vegetable export volumes actually decreased during the early part of the year, but picked up rapidly from September onwards.
'This is a good signal for the Vietnamese fruit and vegetable industry, posting healthy growth despite the world recession,' Dinh Van Huong, chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, told VOV News.
Russia remains the largest market for Vietnam's fresh produce exports, taking in nearly US$40m (€26.9m) worth of fruit and vegetables, followed by China with US$35m (€23.6m), according to the report. Other major markets for Vietnam include Japan, Taiwan and the US, with exports also shipped to Germany, France, Australia, Japan and Singapore among others.
The Ministry has estimated that Vietnam will earn around US$420m (€283m) from fresh produce exports by the end of 2009, well up on the US$390m (€262.7m) recorded last year, and has undertaken production reorganisation, farmer training and increased promotion to help reach the target.
Vietnam now has over 680ha dedicated to fruit and vegetable production, growing a range of produce including beans, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, garlic, bananas, mangoes, lychees, longan and dragonfruit.
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