Vietnam eyes US$21 billion in cultivation exports in 2018

The cultivation sector aims to gross over US$21 billion in export turnover in 2018, representing an annual rise of 2.2-2.3%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The cultivation sector aims to gross over US$21 billion in export turnover in 2018.
The cultivation sector aims to gross over US$21 billion in export turnover in 2018.

Localities will continue shifting their plant structure to grow more profitable crops that are adaptive to climate change, such as corn, and fruit and vegetables, as well as developing aquaculture, especially in the northern, south central, and Central Highlands regions.

The Mekong Delta, in particular, will boost its application of high technology in order to create new varieties of fruit, vegetables and flowers, as well as developing processing and post-harvest preservation technologies.

This year, the country aims to increase the fruit plantation areas to approximately 930,000 ha and create high added value products. Each locality will develop large-scale fruit areas ensuring good agricultural practices (GAP) and food safety, in addition to high-technology vegetable and flower production, focusing on major cities.

The agricultural industry will improve rice quality and reduce its production costs via intensive cultivation.

Industrial crop growing areas, such as coffee, rubber, tea and cashew nut will be gradually reduced to 645,000 ha, 950,000 ha, 132,000 ha and 300,000 ha, respectively.

Vietnam earned a record of nearly US$3.45 billion from fruit and vegetable exports in 2017, rising by 40.5% from last year.

China, Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea were among the biggest importers of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables.