Apple import from New Zealand surges

New Zealand’s export of fruits, especially apple and kiwi, to Vietnam has continually posted double-digit growth rates over the past years, New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Tredene Dobson told VnExpress.

Vietnam spent VND2.6 trillion importing New Zealand’s fruits in 2022.

Lu Minh Quang, export director of Biovegi Vietnam Joint Stock Company, the largest apple importer from New Zealand in Vietnam, said in the first four months of this year, local people tightened their spending but the company’s apple sales grew 15% year-on-year.

Currently, there are some 10 varieties of New Zealand’s apples being sold in Vietnam, with prices ranging from VND80,000-250,000 per kilogram, a slight increase over the same period last year, he said.

According to official Vietnamese statistics, New Zealand is Vietnam’s fourth biggest exporter of fruits and vegetables, with a market share of 7%.

According to the ambassador, New Zealand is promoting the export of food and beverage products to Vietnam. F&B products accounted for 80% of its total merchandise exports to Vietnam last year.

Last year, New Zealand started importing citrus, typically pomelo and lime, from Vietnam, in addition to local fruits already popular in the country such as dragon fruit and rambutan.

Two-way trade between the nations, which reached over $1.3 billion in 2021 and $1.23 billion in the first 10 months of 2022, is expected to surge to $2 billion in 2024, according to official Vietnamese statistics.