Processing fresh coconuts for export at Mekong Fruit Co., Ltd in Châu Thành District, Bến Tre Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Việt Nam’s fresh coconuts are being increasingly consumed in international markets such as the US, China and the UK, highlighting a bright spot in Việt Nam's fruit export sector with many opportunities for breakthroughs in the near future.

Việt Nam holds the 6th position in the global coconut market in terms of cultivation area and output. With roughly 200,000ha of plantations, the country produces two million tonnes of the nuts annually.

This production capacity has enabled Việt Nam to export coconuts to 15 foreign markets, with 30,000 tonnes.

To maximise the strength of coconuts as a naturally clean fruit with a long shelf life, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has negotiated a protocol with China for fresh coconut exports since 2016, according to Deputy Director of the ministry's Plant Protection Department Nguyễn Quang Hiếu.

Vietnamese coconuts have been exported to western markets since 2017, with Vina T&T pioneering the entry into the US market, previously dominated by Thai ones.

General Director Vina T&T Nguyễn Đình Tùng said Vietnamese coconuts, known for sweetness, caught the attention of the US market, favoured by consumers in Europe, Canada and the Republic of Korea (RoK), and most recently China which has granted an export code for the product.

Vina T&T has signed contracts with two Chinese companies to ship the first batches to this market.

With a population of over 1.4 billion and domestic supply meeting only about 10 per cent of the demand, China represents a great potential market.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoàng Trung said China consumes over four billion coconuts annually, of which approximately 2.6 billion are fresh ones.

China’s high demand but limited production capacity presents an opportunity for the Vietnamese product.

Statistics from the MARD show that the fresh coconut ranks sixth in export value among fruit items, following durian, dragon fruit, banana, mango and jackfruit. The fruit’s export earnings in the first ten months of 2024 is projected to reach over $120 million.

With a sharp rise of fresh coconut exports, the fruit sector has more opportunities to create breakthroughs in exports, potentially reaching the milestone of $10 billion set by the MARD. — VNS