Processed products account for large share of fruit and veg exports

Investing in processing technology for strategic products

Built and put into operation in 2014 at Phu Hoi Industrial Park in Duc Trong commune, Lam Dong province, the fruit processing plant of Truong Hoang Lam Dong Trading and Service Co., Ltd. is currently focused on producing key passion fruit-based products, including passion fruit concentrate and dried passion fruit.

According to Ms. Bui Thi Thuy Ha, Deputy Director of Truong Hoang Lam Dong Company, the plant has an annual raw material processing capacity of 52,000 tons, which is currently being raised to 78,000 tons. In addition to passion fruit products, the facility also processes a range of products made from other fruits, such as avocado and mango.

Even before the plant was built, Truong Hoang Lam Dong had signed contracts to export concentrated passion fruit juice to the EU. To date, the entire output of the plant’s concentrated passion fruit juice is exported, with the EU accounting for approximately 80% of total exports. Meanwhile, all of its dried passion fruit products are exported to the U.S.

According to Ms. Thuy Ha, demand for processed passion fruit products continues to rise. In 2026, for example, customer demand for the plant’s dried fruit products increased by 30%, while demand for concentrated fruit juice rose by 10%. As a result, since its operation began, Truong Hoang Lam Dong’s fruit processing plant has undergone several capacity expansion phases.

At the same time, the company has partnered with farmers in Lam Dong and other localities across the Central Highlands to produce raw passion fruit on 1,500-2,000 hectares. Of the harvested passion fruit output, as much as 70% is directed to processing, while only 30% is sold as fresh fruit.

Similar to Truong Hoang Lam Dong, many companies in the fruit and vegetable sector have invested in processing plants in recent years to manufacture fruit-based products to meet the demand of both domestic and export markets. Thanks to these investments, processed fruit products are accounting for an increasingly larger share of Viet Nam’s fruit exports.

In 2025, Viet Nam’s processed fruit and vegetable exports surpassed the USD 2 billion mark for the first time, reaching USD 2.06 billion, up 42.1% from 2024. With this turnover, processed products accounted for approximately 24% of the country’s total fruit and vegetable export turnover in 2025, an increase from just over 20% in 2024.

According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the export structure of fruit and vegetable products in the first four months of 2026 continued to shift strongly from traditional fresh products toward higher-value-added products.

Data from the Department of Viet Nam Customs show that the export share of processed products increased from 29.33% in the first four months of 2025 to 35.82% during the same period in 2026. This trend is helping enhance the added value of Vietnamese fruit products while reducing dependence on the seasonality of fresh fruits.

Transforming in the fruit and vegetable export structure

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung, Vice Chairman of the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), the structure of fruit and vegetable exports is undergoing a positive transformation, with an increase in both the share and export turnover of processed products. Businesses are also investing in deep processing, including frozen and dried products, as well as concentrated fruit juices.

The potential to expand the export market share of processed fruit and vegetable products remains substantial. Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung noted that more than 70% of Viet Nam’s fruit and vegetable products are still exported in fresh form. Deep processing capacity within the sector remains limited, while the range of processed products is relatively narrow. Packaging is often insufficiently attractive, and the processing industry has yet to develop enough capacity to help regulate product consumption during peak harvest seasons.

For this reason, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung suggested that the Government and local authorities introduce policies to encourage major corporations to invest more heavily in deep processing facilities located directly within concentrated fruit and vegetable production areas.

The strong growth of processed fruit and vegetable exports is driving robust growth in the sector’s overall export performance. According to the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, fruit and vegetable exports in the first five months of 2026 are estimated at USD 2.98 billion, up 29.4% compared to the same period in 2025.