Fruit and veg exports target $10B: [7] Sustaining crucial markets

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In just a few years, Viet Nam'sfruit and vegetable export turnover has surged from over USD 3.3 billion in 2022 to USD 8.5 billion in 2025. The sector has consistently been a bright spot of Vietnamese agriculture on the global trade map.

However, behind these impressive figures lies a less-discussed reality. Growth currently depends on a limited set of key products and major markets. This raises a critical question for the sector: how to sustain growth in the long term.

The answer is gradually being shaped by the Plant Production and Protection Department through a strategic direction focused on developing raw material areas and production methods. In this approach, green production and the standardization of value chains are considered core pillars.

Green production: New foundation for raw material areas

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Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, Deputy Director General of the Plant Production and Protection Department, noted that for many years, agricultural production has primarily focused on boosting yields and expanding cultivated areas. However, as agricultural products enter international markets, new standards have increasingly emerged, particularly those related to low emissions, traceability, food safety, and sustainable production. Without a fundamental approach, agricultural products may face difficulties even in the domestic market, while farmers easily fall into the middle-income cycle.

Thus, the crop production sector is vigorously promoting a transition toward green production models. One of the key measures is the implementation of the Low-Emission Crop Production Project for the 2025–2035 period, aimed at scaling up low-emission farming models.

As of now, nearly 60 models have been registered by localities across many key agricultural products, including fruit and vegetables. The Department will synthesize and issue standardized procedures tailored to each subclimate. The target is to reduce emissions by 15% by 2035 through lowering the use of seeds, fertilizers, irrigation water, and other inputs.

The project represents the latest policy boost, built on the existing shift in farmers' cultivation practices. Integrated Plant Health Management (IPHM) models continue to be expanded, encouraging the use of natural enemies, biological measures, and field ecosystem management instead of relying entirely on chemical pesticides.

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Thousands of training classes have been organized to guide farmers in the safe and efficient use of agricultural materials. This shift not only reduces emissions but also improves product quality and helps meet increasingly stringent standards in import markets.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, from a broader perspective, green production is also closely linked to the reorganization of production. The crop production sector is promoting the development of concentrated, large-scale production areas linked to value chains among farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises. The application of mechanization, new technologies, and digital transformation in production is also being prioritized.

These changes aim to create stable raw material areas, which are considered the foundation for sustainable exports. In reality, if raw material areas fail to meet required standards, efforts to expand markets are unlikely to be sustained in the long term.

Standardizing value chains to accelerate exports

If green production is the foundation, then value chain standardization is the key to expanding exports. In today’s agricultural trade, growing areas are no longer merely places of production; they must comply with a wide range of standards on phytosanitary measures, food safety, and traceability.

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In Viet Nam, the system of planting area codes and packing facilities is playing a crucial role in this process. To date, the country has issued 9,357 planting area codes and 1,381 packing facilities serving fruit and vegetable exports to international markets. These credentials enable Vietnamese agricultural products to access demanding markets such as the EU, the U.S., Japan, Australia, and South Korea.

However, maintaining compliance with planting area standards is not simple. Markets tend to increasingly tighten technical regulations. In some cases, planting area codes and packing facility codes have even been revoked due to violations of import requirements.

"This shows that agricultural exports must go hand in hand with strict compliance with the importing countries’ standards," Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong emphasized, noting that standardizing planting areas is as important as expanding markets. Viet Nam is currently accelerating negotiations to bring more fruit products into major markets. For example, fresh pomelo is accessible to the Australian market, and passion fruit is expected to enter the U.S. market soon, while various other fruits are under negotiation with Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

Market expansion is an important step, but not the only factor in achieving the USD 10 billion fruit and vegetable export target. Despite strong export performance, many Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products are still exported mainly in raw, fresh, or simply processed form, with few strong brands established and only a limited number of exporters developing their own brands in international markets. As a result, added value remains not commensurate with its potential.

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As products with clear brands typically have higher value and are less vulnerable to market fluctuations, it is essential to build product brands associated with planting areas and quality standards. This is also the next step in upgrading the value chain of Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable sector.

The surge in fruit and vegetable exports in recent years highlights the sector’s enormous potential. However, to sustain growth momentum, the sector cannot rely solely on a few key products or markets; it needs to pursue a more sustainable direction. This direction begins with raw material sourcing and extends through green production models, emissions reductions, and improved product quality. It is followed by the standardization of the value chain from growing areas to packing and export.

Finally, building brands is essential to enhancing product value. When these three elements are effectively integrated, the fruit and vegetable sector will not only maintain its current growth pace but also aim at more ambitious targets in the future.

Durian, dragon fruit, and coconut are among Viet Nam's key fruit products that have been reaching billion-dollar exports. In the coming period, bananas and pineapples are expected to join this group, thanks to stable raw material areas and steadily high market demand.