Staff members label durians to be exported to China at a durian processing plant in Dak Lak province, Vietnam, Sept. 15, 2023. Xinhua/Hu Jiali
HANOI: Vietnam's vegetable and fruit exports in the first 11 months reached a new record high at 5.2 billion U.S. dollars, a surge of 70 percent year-on-year, local media reported Thursday.
Durian accounted for 40 percent of the export value, followed by jackfruit, watermelon, grapefruit and longan, all recording growth between 50 percent and 200 percent, according to VnExpress' report, citing the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association.
This was the first time that vegetables and fruits exceeded the export value of key agricultural produce such as rice, cashew nuts and coffee, according to the newspaper.
China was the biggest market in the first 10 months at 3.2 billion dollars, accounting for 66 percent of the total.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, the association's general secretary, said that improved farming production, cultivation and processing skills and the application of high technology helped local farmers and businesses to increase their productivity.
He also attributed the impressive export revenue to bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements signed between Vietnam and partners as well as active trade promotion made by local authorities.
