Vietnam's quartet of fruits target billion-dollar export goal

Vietnam is facing a major opportunity to elevate the export value of key fruit products such as passion fruit, pineapple, coconut, and banana.

With an annual output of over 6.3 million tons from a total cultivated area of around 420,000 ha, these fruits are seen as a quartet for achieving billion-dollar export revenue from each.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam, the quartet of fruits possesses either absolute or comparative advantages, yet it shares common limitations: lack of diverse and disease-resistant varieties, underdeveloped raw material zones, weak supply chain linkages, low processing rates, absence of national branding, market volatility, and challenges in traceability.

Deputy Minister Nam emphasized the urgent need for a “technological revolution” in the fruit sector to scale these products to billion-dollar export levels. He suggested this could mark the beginning of a large-scale national program, and if industry associations align, the Government is ready to support the transformation.

He noted that Decree 88/2025/ND-CP of the Government  and Resolution 193/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly have removed key barriers in plant variety research, creating a legal framework for institutes and universities to focus on developing high-yield, disease-resistant crops.

Additionally, Decree 145/2025/ND-CP of the Government outlines 17 specific responsibilities for local governments in building raw material zones and assigning planting area codes—laying the groundwork for stronger collaboration between authorities, businesses, and cooperatives in supply chain management.

“With a strong policy direction, coordination from industry associations, and proactive efforts from businesses and farmers, Vietnam can fully realize the goal of turning passion fruit, pineapple, coconut, and banana into billion-dollar export items by 2026–2027,” said Mr. Nam.

“A revolution in production, technology, and value chain management is underway—promising a transformative shift for Vietnam’s agricultural sector,” the deputy minister added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, cited pineapple as a prime example of untapped potential.

He noted that the global pineapple market reached approximately $29 billion in 2024, growing at an average rate of 6.3% annually. Europe and North America account for 50% of global demand. Vietnamese pineapples—especially DOVECO’s concentrated juice products—are now present in over 50 countries and are highly regarded for their quality and commercial value.

According to the Plant Production and Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam currently has over 1.3 million hectares of fruit cultivation, producing around 15 million tons annually. This includes 161,000 ha of bananas, over 52,000 ha of pineapples, nearly 202,000 ha of coconuts, and more than 12 ha of passion fruit. All four crops are expanding in both export volume and deep-processing capacity.