Exports of vegetables and fruits: it is not “a road covered with rose-petals”

China will manage the import of fruits from Vietnam by source trace. In picture: Import and export activities at Tan Thanh - Lang Son border gate. Photos: H.Nu.

The exports increase nearly by 30%

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, over the last 4 months, the exports of vegetables and fruits reached $US 1.32 billion, increasing by nearly 30% compared to the same period in 2017. In the “picture” of the vegetables and fruits export industry, dragon fruit is the first fruit to reach the export value of $US 1 billion. In recent years, thanks to the good export markets and stable prices, the area and output of dragon fruit increased sharply. By 2017, the area of dragon fruit in the whole country reached 48.9 thousand ha. Following dragon fruit is longan fruit with a significant export turnover with an area of over 60 thousand hectares. In addition, typical fruit export items include durian, mangosteen, mango, banana...

Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) said that, in general, if fruit turnover has been increasing steadily, the area and output also increased suitably. The development of the high-yield fruits above, coupled with long seasonal geographic features, can be harvested year-round and experience of spreading the cops is the key factors creating the basis for the growth of vegetables and fruits exports in 2018 as well as in the following years. Vinafruit forecasts that the export of fruits and vegetables in 2018 could continue to grow by 25-30%, with the export value of $US 4.3-4.5 billion.

Although there are many favorable factors, but exporting vegetables is not “a road covered with rose-petals”. Vinafuit concerns about the difficulties in the Chinese market as the market tightens regulations and revises standards for food hygiene and safety in the period 2016-2020. Recently, Guangxi quarantine agency announced that from April 1, 2018, it will manage the import of fruit from Vietnam by source trace as done by the United States, Australia... That means it will control from the plantation area (This regulation is strictly implemented by the Quarantine Agency, the Chinese side conducted the policy from May 1, 2018). "In addition, if the country is threatening imports through the borders, only eight kinds of fruits are allowed to export in official trade: dragon fruit, watermelon, rambutan, mango, litchi, longan, banana and jackfruit. The remaining fruits have to wait for the outcome of the negotiations, so the exports of Vietnam’s vegetables and fruits into the market will face many difficulties”, the Vinafruit representative said.

Overcome difficulties to build brand

In exporting fruits and vegetables, typically dragon fruit, Australia is an important and potential market for Vietnam. On August 24, 2017, Australia officially announced the import of dragon fruit from Vietnam. At present, Vietnam is the first and only country to be licensed to export fresh dragon fruit into this market.

However, recently, in February, 2018, when the Australian Department of Agriculture randomly checked some of the food shipments, the Vietnamese red chilli pepper and dragon fruits were found to be in violation. Specifically, Vietnam's red chilli pepper was identified as containing a series of banned health hazards including Carbendazim, Chlorpyrifos, Cyhalothrin, Difenoconazole, Metalaxyl, Profenofos and Propiconazole. Meanwhile, lots of dragon fruit were found to contain Carbendazim. Notably, after Australia's Ministry of Agriculture’s controls, it determined medium to high risk food shipments, so these shipments will not be allowed to be sold in Australia. At the same time, the importers must cancel or re-export to Vietnam under the supervision of the Australian authorities. The next shipments of goods will be inspected 100% until it meets the specified standards.

It is easy to see that not only China, Australia... but most of the big markets in the world such as the United States, Japan, the EU... are increasingly reinforcing barriers and strict standards with vegetables and fruits in particular, and with agricultural products in general. Difficulties exist, but in the current context, efforts to overcome these difficulties are important conditions for Vietnam to form and develop clean and safe vegetables and fruits, and then to build and affirm Vietnamese fruit and vegetable brand in the international market.

Regarding to the above issue, the Director General of the Plant Protection Department (MARD) Hoang Trung added: In fact, right at the opening of the export market for vegetables and fruits, two notable barriers are the quarantine and food safety, typically pesticide residues. To remove the barriers, the Plant Protection Department has issued nearly 6,000 plantation codes for the following crops: dragon fruit, mango, longan, rambutan, litchi; at the same time, we will continue to coordinate with the localities to expand the number of raw materials for export. In addition, to increase the value of vegetables and fruits, the MARD is also coordinating with enterprises to continue building more processing plants with local and regional capacity.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said: After opening the export market, it is important to keep the market. In order to do this, it is necessary to promote the advanced production process in building of raw material areas, ensuring strict closed process chain. Exported vegetables and fruits are not only clean and of quality, but also ensure the factors such as price, quantity, prestige…

From the point of view of fruits and vegetables exports, Vinafruit recommends that in the coming time, it is necessary to strengthen land policies such as the formation of "big fields", the mechanism of creating public land funds for clean land to set up areas for concentrated fruit and vegetable production, to build specialized commodity areas, raw material areas to produce goods of uniform nature; strengthen the inspection and supervision of product quality so that the products are building the brand with good quality, and gradually affirming its position in the market. According to Vinafruit, the important point is to strengthen the national trade promotion program, promote branded products, training activities to improve the capacity of staff, cooperatives, medium and large enterprises directly involved in the building of agricultural products. In addition, the State should strictly manage the import of plant protection drugs, limit the abuse of inorganic fertilizers and chemical plant protection chemicals, especially with the type of toxic substances that advanced countries and the clean land areas have banned...