Vietnam plans to set up three centers to facilitate the transaction and export of fruit, vegetables, and flowers in northern mountainous Lao Cai province, central highlands Dalat city, and HCM City, according to the Ministry of Trade on March 22.
The plan is part of the national program promoting production and export of fresh vegetables, flowers, and fruits, currently being developed by the ministry.
These centers are scheduled to start operation next year, said the ministry.
Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable export revenues are forecast to reach US$300 million this year, a year-on-year rise of 15%.
The country also hopes to raise turnover from exporting vegetables, flowers and fruit from US$280 million currently to US$700 million by 2010, and US$1 billion by 2015, achieving a growth rate of 29% annually through 2016.
To reach these targets, the Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) have coordinated efforts implementing a national program for such exports, and domestic consumption.
MARD plans to focus on 10 kinds of fruit trees that have economic appeal, such as orange, grapefruit, pineapple, mango, longan and litchi.
Besides, the ministry will also boost production and develop consumer markets through contracts signed with enterprises and farmers, in which enterprises hold the key role.
The Ministry of Trade has asked departments of trade and agriculture in the provinces to select some local, limited liability companies and co-operatives that have experience in producing and exporting vegetables, flowers and fruits.
The ministry will help these companies and co-operatives organize production and export these products, with the application of advanced technologies.
The deputy minister of Trade Tran Duc Minh said the ministry also works to popularize trademarks for some special vegetables, flowers and fruits, and to expand orchards.
The ministry will co-ordinate with MARD to organize bilateral negotiations with the US, European Union countries, Japan and Singapore to sign agreements on farm products and to grant licenses on various agricultural goods, especially vegetables, flowers and fruits.
The sector will also boost international co-operation in food safety and hygiene, to advance the signing of international agreements.
To encourage farmers to develop orchards, the Ministry of Trade proposed the State prioritize tax policies on fruit production and trade, and exempt value-added taxes for co-operatives and enterprises that trade fruit and for farmers that have recently planted fruit trees.
According to the ministry, Vietnam now has more than 680,000ha of orchards, producing more than 6.5 million tons of fruit.
The country has created many areas for growing different kinds of fruit trees. For example, in Northern Vietnam, Bac Ha District in Lao Cai Province specializes in plums, Vi Xuyen District in Ha Giang Province specializes in oranges and Hung Yen Province focuses on longan. In Southern Vietnam, Binh Thuan Province focuses on blue-dragon fruit (a cactus fruit).
The country has also more than 765,000ha of vegetables and flowers, with productivity of more than 9.6 million tons.
As for planting flowers, there are some localities in all three regions growing flowers with modern facilities, earning VND400-500 million per ha, 20 times higher than rice cultivation.
The economic value of vegetables, flowers and fruit is often 10 times higher than that of rice cultivation and other crops.
Vietnamese vegetables, flowers and fruit are mostly exported to mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Russia, Germany, Australia and France.
However, vegetable, flower and fruit production development has so far not reached its potential, said Minh.
The country lacks detailed planning, while land policies have been problematic, making it hard to create high-tech farms to grow vegetables, flowers and fruit for export, he said. (Liberated Saigon)
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