Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) In early 2026, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports continued their strong growth momentum, with outstanding performance in core markets. The industry overcame international technical barriers and is striving towards its $10 billion export target through key measures such as strengthening traceability systems, standardizing planting and packaging code management, enhancing deep processing capabilities, and building raw material bases.
Data shows that in January 2026, Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports achieved high growth in key markets: exports to China doubled year-on-year, exports to the US increased by over 56%, and exports to South Korea increased by nearly 36%. Despite the complex global trade environment, international demand for Vietnamese fruits and vegetables remained strong, and while expanding in scale, the industry significantly improved quality and international compliance.
Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, stated that the standardization of planting area codes and packaging facility codes has greatly enhanced product traceability and effectively met the requirements of import markets. As a result, the number of pesticide residue warning batches in high-standard markets such as China, the US, and South Korea has significantly decreased, reducing trade risks and continuously improving the international reputation of Vietnamese agricultural products. Deep processing has become a new engine for industry growth. Market data shows that deep-processed products such as dried fruit, frozen fruit, and fruit juice have increased by over 15% compared to 2021. This has not only reduced the industry's reliance on fresh fruit exports but also increased product added value and resilience to market fluctuations. Durian continues to lead export growth, with production expected to increase by 10%-12% in 2026. Companies are increasing exports of frozen durian, durian pulp, and durian puree, expanding into high-end markets such as Japan and the US to alleviate seasonal sales pressure.
Coconuts have emerged as a promising new category. Ruan Tingsong, General Manager of Vina T&T Group, explained that coconuts are well-suited to green agriculture and the circular economy, achieving "full plant utilization and zero waste," and have a shelf life of up to 80 days, facilitating long-distance transportation and offering broad market prospects. At the policy level, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is leading the construction of an agricultural product traceability system, prioritizing durian as a pilot project. Currently in the testing phase, the system will enable full-process traceability from production, harvesting, processing, packaging, to export, helping fruit and vegetable products meet international market requirements. Ruan Mengxiong, General Manager of Nafoods Group, pointed out that building a complete industrial chain is key to enhancing industry value—the company has already established a complete chain system from variety research and development, planting to processing and export, demonstrating the role of technological and management upgrades in enhancing international competitiveness.
Chen Qingnan, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized that the global agricultural product market has shifted towards green, sustainable, and emission-reduction orientations, and technical barriers and traceability requirements in major markets will continue to tighten. Enterprises must strictly comply with regulations such as planting area codes and packaging facility codes. The construction of stable, high-quality raw material bases is the core guarantee for the development of deep processing and sustainable export expansion, requiring close cooperation between local governments and enterprises. (End)
