Macadamia, banana exports surge as demand for Vietnamese farm produce rises

By Thi Ha February 14, 2022 | 09:00 pm PT

Workers prepare bananas for exports at a factory of Hoang Anh Gia Lai in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. Photo by VnExpress/Thi Ha

Vietnam’s macadamia and banana exports rose by 100 percent and 50 percent last year despite the impacts of Covid-19 on agriculture and logistics.

Overall fruit and nut exports were up 7.9 percent at $2.36 billion, according to Vietnam Customs.

Fruits that saw double-digit growth included banana, mango, jackfruit, durian, and passion fruit.

The pandemic did not have an impact on agriculture exports since consumers in the U.S., the E.U. and South Korea are becoming fond of Vietnamese fruits, the Vietnam Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) said in a note.

Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of agriculture firm Hoang Anh Gia Lai, said demand for bananas is rising every year in China, South Korea and Japan, but the volume of Vietnamese bananas that meet export standards is low.

The area under bananas is small and farmers are unfamiliar with export quality requirements, he added.

Agriculture scientist Vo Tong Xuan said to increase exports the government needs to zone areas for certain fruits to ensure quality.