Vietnam's fresh produce sector has set an export goal of US$482m for this year, up 10 per cent on last year's total of US$439m.
Vietnamese fruit and vegetables are sold in more than 50 countries, with China, Japan, the US, Netherlands and Russia the key importers, Vietnam Net reported.
However, the industry must work hard to overcome the challenge of tough import requirements, according to Nguyen Van Ky, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association (Vinafruit).
In addition, poor marketing has made Vietnamese produce susceptible to price instability, Mr Ky said, and because of the small scale of farming in the country, exporters can't cope with large orders
In order for exports to increase, Mr Ky believes businesses need to adopt long-term strategies, build brand names and apply GAP standards in production.
Vinafruit has asked the Vietnamese government to offer incentives for businesses to invest in the sector, and to continue supporting the industry through market research and promotional programmes.
The country currently has more than 1.4m ha under cultivation, with annual yields of 6.5m tonnes of fruit and 6.9m tonnes of vegetables, with around 85 per cent of that consumed domestically.
