Export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products brightening in the first half

Vietnam's export products have found their way to several new markets

According to the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD), despite being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the total export turnover of agri-forestry-fishery products in the first half of the year soared and surpassed the target. Of this, the export value of agricultural products (rubber, tea, pepper, fruit, wood products) was $10.4 billion, up 13.3 per cent.

Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, confirmed that the export value of fruits in the first half increased by 17.4 per cent on-year to $2.36 billion with numerous fruits having cracked open "difficult" markets in addition to China.

"The export turnover of fruit in the first half has surpassed 2020. Despite the pandemic, lychee still entered Singapore, the EU, Malaysia, Germany, Thailand, Cambodia, France, and the Czech Republic, in addition to China," Nguyen said, adding that the domestic consumption of fruit also rose significantly, thanks to the cooperation of a variety of businesses in the supply chain.

Bac Giang Department of Industry and Trade reported that the consumption of lychee reached impressive levels this year. Year-to-date by July 1, 213,765 tonnes of lychee were sold in the province, a rise of 130 per cent on-year.

Besides lychee, the consumption of plum, longan, and dragon fruit reported good results both in quantity and price in the first half.

Additionally, seafood exports recovered well, especially shrimp and catfish, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). The MARD reported that seafood exports reached $4.05 billion in the first half, an increase of 12.5 per cent on-year.

While the export volume of rice did not increase by much, prices were getting higher. This has been beneficial for Vietnamese producers as the demand for rice and foodstuff has been increasing, especially in China and South Korea. Some businesses have been receiving export contracts even for the next quarters.

There are four major markets – China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea – importing agricultural, forestry, and fishery products of Vietnam, and most of them have maintained positive growth.

Specifically, the export turnover to the US, the largest market in the first half, was $6.7 billion, a rise of 59.8 per cent on-year, and making up 27.9 per cent of the total export turnover. The export value to China, the second-largest export market, was $4.75 billion, a rise of 32.1 per cent on-year and 19.6 per cent of the total.