Vietnam To Double Ag Exports
6 March 2009 Vietnam’s agricultural sector has set a 2010 goal for its fruit and vegetable
exports at US $760 million — almost double its 2008 exports of $390 million.
The country’s long-term goal is to reach an annual turnover of $1.2 billion by 2020,
according to Phan Huy Thong, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development’s Department of Cultivation.
To fight through the global economic slump, Vietnamese officials intend to foster market
research, increase trade promotion, and review current agricultural planning, says Thong.
Nationwide research conducted by the Ministry includes requesting each region to choose one or
two major crops in which to specialize. Trade promotion efforts will focus on restoring former markets in Russia and
Eastern Europe, as well as consolidating current markets in the US, EU, China, and
Southeast Asia. Currently, Vietnam exports fruits and vegetables to 50 countries and territories
worldwide.
One major obstacle for development, says Thong, is a lack of centralized planning. Fruit and
vegetable growers in Viet Nam remain “small-scale, unco-ordinated, and hampered
by land policies that present obstacles to large-scale farming or high-tech agriculture,”
according to VietNam.Net. Additionally, research focused on developing new varieties is on a pilot basis
and has not yet resulted in new varieties being widely cultivated.
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