Kiwifruit and blueberries next products in line to secure market access
Chile has exported more than 3,000 tonnes of fruit to Vietnam so far in 2024/25, an increase of 133 per cent on the year-earlier period according to Frutas de Chile.
Cherries made up 94 per cent of shipments and table grapes the remaining 6 per cent. Together with apples, they are the three products that currently have access to the market.
Miguel Canala-Echeverría, general manager of Frutas de Chile, said efforts are focused on negotiating access for fresh kiwifruit and improving the entry conditions for cherries.
In the case of kiwifruit, he said the sector is awaiting a visit by inspectors from the Plant Protection Department (PPD) of Vietnam, which is scheduled for April, to certify compliance with the protocol in orchards and packhouses.
After kiwifruit, Canala-Echeverría said the next fruit in line for market access is blueberries. “A visit to Chile by PPD inspectors is being coordinated with the Agricultural and Livestock Service for November or December, so that they can see the production and export process of this fruit on the ground,” he explained.
Another focus for the sector is to improve the entry conditions of fresh cherries, whose shipments are currently only authorised by sea because they must undergo cold treatment. A proposal to allow air exports is currently being analysed by the Vietnamese authorities, Canala-Echeverría said.
With a population of almost 100mn, of which 61.4 per cent is under the age of 35 and 30 per cent lives in cities, Vietnam is a highly attractive market for Chilean fruit exporters.
Since 2015 it has been part of Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), which also includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
According to the World Bank, Vietnam’s GDP in 2023 was US$429.72bn, 5.05 per cent higher than in the previous year, and GDP per capita stood at US$4,346.8. This placed it in the group of countries with the highest economic growth in the region. While the GDP per capita reached, that same year, US$4,346.8.
