Vegetables emerge as major export earner

A shopper inspects fresh vegetables at a Co.opmart supermarket in HCMC. Vegetables have become a major export earner of the country as their export revenue is even higher than that of crude oil - PHOTO: THANH HOA

HANOI – Vegetables have become a major export earner of the country as their export revenue is even higher than that of crude oil, said Nguyen Thien Nhan, secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, at a National Assembly session on November 1.

The country last year exported crude oil worth US$2.4 billon, rice US$2.15 billion, coffee US$3.3 billion, fisheries US$7 billion, and vegetables US$2.45 billion, Nhan said, stressing this was the first time export revenue from vegetables was higher than that from crude oil.

He said outbound sales of crude oil in 2005 totaled US$7.3 billion, 31 times higher than vegetables (US$235 million). However, the current figure for crude oil represents 98% of that for vegetables.

Export revenue from crude oil has dipped by US$5 billion in the past five years. Meanwhile, vegetable exports have soared 30% a year, and the export value of this commodity is forecast to amount to US$10 billion.

He proposed adopting policies to prop up vegetable farming to facilitate the export of this produce.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said Vietnam has seen strong export growth of agricultural and aquatic products. For example, Vietnamese fruits like dragon fruit, rambutan, longan and litchi have made their way to the U.S. market.