Vietnam's agricultural exports still grow despite difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: vinanet.vn)

Despite the pandemic production and supply of export products has continued at Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Company.

Dong Giao’s partners are demanding but reliable, said Nguyen Van Thanh, Dong Giao’s Deputy Director General, affirming, “We have developed stable markets domestically and internationally." "Though these are demanding markets, sales are huge and prices are high. We look for demanding markets to ensure stable output for our products,” said Thanh.

Farm exports to the EU have enjoyed preferential treatment under the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). Frozen shrimp, passion fruit, pomelo, dragon fruit, and fragrant rice were the first export consignments to the EU without tariff.

In the Central Highlands, processed passion fruit is an export product that has grown in recent years and has been steady since a passion fruit processing factory was built in Mang Yang district, Gia Lai province.  

Nguyen Thi Thinh of Dac Di Rang commune, said, “We’ve switched to growing passion fruit trees in the Central Highlands. The trees grow well and produce high yields. In the past, I planted  100 trees and harvested tons of fruit. Now, because the Mang Yang processor buys all we can provide, we’ve expanded our cultivation area.”

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, export turnover of agro-forestry-fishery products last November alone was 3.7 billion USD. A number of items including rice, vegetables, shrimp, and wood products earned more than last year.  

Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development, said the EVFTA has had a positive impact on farm exports.

To continue improving Vietnam’s position in the world market, Toan urged coordination among localities, businesses, and farmers.

“We can switch to better varieties to increase the added value of Vietnamese agricultural products and help farmers sell their items. It’s important to address the dual goal of increasing productivity and finding markets for farmers,” said Toan.

To continue to increase agricultural exports in 2021, a number of mechanisms and policies will be implemented to encourage investment in agricultural processing, preservation of farm produce, and linking production, processing and distribution chains. The Ministry will devise a farm produce processing and agriculture mechanization strategy until 2030 and a project to develop the fruit and vegetable processing industry from now until 2030.