Lychee is processed for export in Hai Duong Province's Thanh Ha District. Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable exports achieved growth in the first half of 2016. — VNA/VNS Photo Vu Sinh

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Viet Nam gained a 33 per cent year-on-year increase in the fruit and vegetable export value to reach US$1.17 billion for the first half of 2016, officials said.

This was mainly due to higher demand in China's market, said the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetables Association.

According to the General Department of Customs, China was the largest export market for Viet Nam's fruit and vegetables, accounting for 70 per cent of the national export volume of these products in the first five months of the year.

The total export value of local fruit and vegetable products reached year-on-year growth of 80 per cent, touching $692 million in the first five months, the department said.

The United States was the largest export market for local fruit, with a year-on-year increase in export value of 62 per cent to reach $37 million.

South Korea was the third-largest export market, with year-on-year growth of 25.7 per cent to reach $35.4 million.

In the first half of this year, Viet Nam exported 4,608 tonnes of fresh fruit to fiercely competitive markets such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia, of which 72 per cent was dragon fruit.

In the future, dragon fruit exports are expected to increase even further because such exports from Viet Nam to Taiwan will recover after the latter's block on fruit imports is lifted. Taiwan plans to import 14,000-16,000 tonnes of dragon fruit per year.

Viet Nam expects to make $2 billion on fruit and vegetable exports this year because the nation may enter three more competitive markets, Japan, the European Union and the United States, according to the association.

Last year, Viet Nam's fruit and vegetable export value reached $1.8 billion, 23.7 per cent higher than 2014, making it one of the top five farming export products in Viet Nam, alongside rice, coffee, cashew nuts and rubber.

Vietnamese fruit and vegetable products have been exported to 40 countries and territories. Of these, major export markets include mainland China, Japan, the United States and Russia, in addition to South Korea, Indonesia and the Netherlands. The other countries are Thailand and Singapore. — VNS