Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports hit US$1.62 billion in five months

The total value of fruit and vegetable exports reached approximately US$1.62 billion by the end of May, a year-on-year rise of 16.4%, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)
Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

In May alone, the country grossed US$304 million from exports of fruits and vegetables, down 6.8% compared to the same period last year.

In the first five months of this year, fruit and vegetable exports to most markets registered growth, with China importing nearly US$989 million worth of products, a year-on-year increase of 30.1% and 74.3% of fruit-vegetable export revenue.

The US came second with US$39 million (up 12.8%), followed by Japan at US$36.55 million (up 16.4%), and the Republic of Korea at US$34.78 million (up 13.5%).

In that time, Vietnam imported US$575 million worth of fruits and vegetables, up 15.3% over the same period last year.

The country earned a record US$3.45 billion from fruit and vegetable exports in 2017, a year-on-year rise of 40.5%, much higher than traditional staples like rice, crude oil and coffee.