HÀ NỘI — Fruit and vegetable exports are on track to reach nearly US$10 billion in 2026, after rising 19.9 per cent year on year to nearly US$7.4 billion in the first nine months, driven by strong seasonal demand and abundant tropical fruit supplies.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said the growth reflected stronger international demand for fresh produce and processed agricultural products. The ministry also said that expanded market access and diversified supplies offered further opportunities for exporters in the final months of the year.

Nguyễn Thanh Bình, chairman of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that export prospects for the final months of the year are positive as China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Europe and North America typically see stronger demand ahead of holiday shopping seasons and the Lunar New Year.

The association said that supplies of fresh coconut, passion fruit, pomelo, mango, dragon fruit and processed fruit and vegetables are expected to remain abundant in the remaining months of this year. Processed products, including dried, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables, also offer additional opportunities for export growth.

However, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, pesticide residue limits and traceability are critical to maintaining exports and securing access to high-value markets, experts said, urging efforts to improve quality control through digital data infrastructure and product verification systems.

Bình said that expanded access to the Chinese market had helped drive growth, supported by an increase in approved growing-area codes and packaging facilities.

China remained Việt Nam’s largest fruit and vegetable export market, accounting for more than 60 per cent of total export value, supported by an increase in approved codes for growing areas and packaging facilities.

Shipments to China rose 38.8 per cent year-on-year in the first eight months of 2026, while the United States and the Republic of Korea also remained important destinations.

Việt Nam is also gaining ground in emerging markets. Among its 15 largest export destinations, Cambodia recorded the fastest growth in imports of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables, with the value rising 2.3-fold.

Việt Nam’s fruit and vegetables exports to the European Union (EU) also increased by 26 per cent in the first half of 2026. The share of the EU’s total imports from non-EU markets rose to 1 per cent from 0.81 per cent over the same period.

However, further gains will depend on businesses’ ability to comply consistently with EU food safety and phytosanitary rules, particularly requirements governing pesticide residues and product traceability.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, as of September 20, the agricultural product traceability system had registered 820,723 products from 3,030 farming households and 208 businesses across 28 of the country's 34 provinces and cities. — BIZHUB/VNS