Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Dragon fruits havedominated Vietnamese fruit exports in the first four months of 2018 with totalexports reaching 427 million USD, a year-on-year increase of 9 percent.

According to the General Department of VietnamCustoms, dragon fruits accounted for 32 percent of the total export value ofVietnamese vegetables and fruits. The export value of dragon fruits was nearlyfour times higher than the two fruit exports ranked below it – longan, whichhad an export value of 121 million USD, and mangos, whose export value stood at104 million USD. Dragon fruit exports also outperformed the vegetables group, whichhad an export value of 143.8 million USD, and processed products, at 143.6million USD.

Thanks to favourable exports, prices of differentvariations of dragon fruits in the raw materials sector have remained high sincethe beginning of the year. The price of white dragon fruits currently stands atabout 20,000 VND (0.87 USD) per kg while red dragon fruits are sold for 40,000 VNDper kg. In addition to Binh Thuan, called the “dragon fruit capital,” the fruitis now being grown in many southern provinces in Vietnam, specifically Long Anand Tien Giang.

Aside from dragon fruit, mango exports also made astrong impression by doubling its export value in the first four months of theyear compared to the same period last year, reaching 104 million USD and pushingits market share from 5 percent in 2017 to nearly 8 percent from January toApril 2018. Mangoes are mainly exported to China, the Republic of Korea, Australia,and Japan.

The value of mango exports to the Chinese marketduring the same period reached 95 million USD, up 119 percent over the sameperiod last year and accounting for 91 percent of Vietnam’s total exportturnover of mangoes.

According to statistics from the Department ofFarm Produce Processing and Market (DFPPM) under the Ministry ofAgriculture and Rural Development, fruit and vegetable exports fromJanuary to May reached 1.62 billion USD, an increase of 16.4 percent againstthe same period last year.

China remains Vietnam’s largest importer ofvegetables and fruits.

In the first five months of 2018, Vietnam’s totalvegetable and fruit import value reached 575 million, a year-on-year increaseof 15.3 percent.

In order to maintain the export growth of vegetablesand fruits and avoid devaluation, the DFPPM said Vietnam’s fruit and vegetableindustry must maintain control over quarantine and food hygiene and safety,especially pesticide residues.

In addition to inspecting and speeding up theprocessing of factories every year, they must coordinate with localities toconcentrate on reinforcing the raw materials sector to ensure the quality ofraw materials for production and processing for export, the DFPPM said.-VNS/VNA