Opportunities from the billion-dollar processing and market
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nafoods Joint Stock Company said that products processed from passion fruit such as juice, flour and puree currently have a global consumption demand of about 30,000 tons per type per year, with a stable growth rate of 6-7%. This is a potential market if Vietnam takes advantage of the advantages of growing passion fruit and developing the processing industry.
According to Mr. Hung, in the case that the Chinese market soon opens the official opening for fresh passion fruit, this Vietnamese commodity industry can completely reach the export mark of 1 billion USD. "This milestone is not far away if we have proper planning and good quality control" - he commented.
Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh - President of the Vietnam Coconut Association also said that the coconut industry has a lot of room for sustainable growth, not only from traditional products but also through new processing directions. According to Ms. Thanh, Vietnam can combine coconut with other fruits such as bananas and pineapple to create value-added products, meet diverse consumer needs and contribute to increasing the position of Vietnamese fruits in the international market.
Coconut is not only a symbol of homeland and tropical tourism, but also a bridge to spread the image, culture and Vietnamese specialties to the world - Ms. Thanh emphasized.
The value chain needs to be transparent and connected
However, along with the opportunity, there are increasing technical barriers from imported markets. Master Le Anh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Post-Import Plant Quarantine Center II said that the Vietnamese fruit industry is facing many strict requirements on plant quarantine, food safety and traceability.
"Just a few cases of violations can lead to serious consequences such as having the growing area code and packaging facilities revoked, which has happened to durian and jackfruit" - Mr. Anh Tuan cited.
According to Mr. Tuan, to avoid passiveness and disruption of the export chain, it is important that Vietnam must do a good job of traceability and chain linkage. Each enterprise, cooperative, and farming household must be an important link in transparency and commitment to safety for the entire value chain, he emphasized.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh also agreed and added that building a digital map of coconut growing areas is an urgent requirement today. This is not only the basis for traceability but also an important step to affirm the value of coconut trees in the modern agricultural production system.
In addition, Ms. Thanh said that the coconut industry needs to be viewed as an ecosystem. With the characteristics of water retention and soil improvement, coconut trees can be exploited in a sustainable agricultural model, contributing to increasing ecological value and carbon credits - a factor that is increasingly attracting attention in global agricultural trade.
