Agriculture exports reach new peak in 2022

The trade surplus in the sector surged 30% to $8.5 billion.

The fishery sector played an important role in this growth, with export value rising 23.8% to $11 billion, also a new record, despite China’s “zero Covid” policy and slower consumption globally.

Shrimp and pangasius exports posted growth of 13% and 70% respectively.

Pangasius fish are caught at Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc

In agriculture, coffee exports reached a new milestone of nearly $4 billion. Vietnam was the biggest robusta coffee producer and second biggest coffee exporter globally last year.

The E.U. was the biggest importer of Vietnamese coffee and accounted for 39% of exports, thanks to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Coffee exports to China, Russia, the United Kingdom and India rose between 15% to116%, while exports to Mexico surged 52 times from 2021.

Rice exports also hit a new high of $3.49 billion, with the ST24 and ST25 rice becoming trademarks in many countries as well as sold in France, the E.U. and Australia for the first time.

Vietnam now exports rice to 28 countries and territories.

A customer holds a pack of Vietnamese rice at a Carrefour supermarket in France. Photo by LTG

In the second half of last year, several types of Vietnamese fruit found their way to new markets.

In November, yam and bird’s nest became the 12th and 13th Vietnamese produce to be exported to China via official quota, which means they are grown in specific regions of Vietnam that are controlled by China’s stringent standards for export specifically to China.

In September, bananas and durian were exported officially to China for the first time. Durian exports to China in October surged 4,000% year-on-year to $50 million, and banana exports shot up 77% to $10.5 million.

Pomelo became the seventh fresh produce to be exported officially to the United States, while mango and chicken found its way to South Korea and lime was exported to New Zealand.

Although China relaxed its border policy since December, industry insiders expect 2023 to be a challenging year for Vietnam’s agriculture, forestry and fishery exports as the Russia-Ukraine tension shows no signs of ending soon.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has called on farmers to fulfill all commitments regarding quality and packaging standards to ensure exports to major markets such as the E.U., the United States and China continue to rise.