Viet Nam exported nearly 10,000 tonnes of fresh fruit to difficult markets such as the United States, Canada, South Korea and Japan in the first 10 months of this year.

This export volume doubled figures from the whole of last year.

According to Head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department Hoang Trung, some 5,100 tonnes of dragon fruit and 1,550 tonnes of mango were shipped to these countries.

The United States led the import of Vietnamese fruit, with 2,600 tonnes of dragon fruit and 1,200 tonnes of mango, followed by Japan, Canada and South Korea.

The country exported nearly 2.1 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables, making a turnover of some US$2 billion during the period. Meanwhile, it imported nearly 420,000 tonnes of fresh fruit.

Trung said his department was conducting an experimental project on exterminating fly disease on red dragon fruit, following the requirements of Japan. Japan will officially open its doors to the Vietnamese fruit by early 2017.

Viet Nam expects to increase its exports to Australia and Taiwan in the future, after the two markets begin allowing businesses to import Vietnamese fresh mango and dragon fruit, respectively, this year. — VNS