Vietnamese and Chinese enterprises sign a coconut purchase contract at a ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

BẾN TRE — A ceremony to announce the official export of fresh coconuts of the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre to the Chinese market was held on Friday by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Việt Nam Mini Digital Investment and Trading JSC.

Addressing the event, Huỳnh Tấn Đạt, Director of the Plant Protection Department (PPD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said the Chinese market’s opening to Vietnamese fresh coconuts brings a golden opportunity.

With a population of over 1.4 billion and domestic supply meeting only about 10 per cent of the demand, China represents a great potential market for Việt Nam’s coconut products, Đạt said, noting that if this opportunity is fully tapped, coconut exports to China could bring an additional US$200-300 million as early as 2024, helping Việt Nam’s coconut export earnings soon reach 1 billion USD goal.

The official export of fresh coconuts from Bến Tre to China marks a new milestone in efforts to expand markets and elevate the position of Vietnamese agricultural products on the international market, Đạt stressed.

Việt Nam's position in the global coconut market is impressive, ranking 6th among the top 10 countries in terms of cultivation area and output. With roughly 200,000 ha of coconut plantations, the country produces around 1.9 million tonnes of coconuts annually. Bến Tre province makes a significant contribution to this, producing up to 688 million coconuts in 2022.

Việt Nam has so far exported fresh coconuts to 14 countries with a total volume exceeding 26.7 million coconuts per year. This figure highlights the immense potential of the coconut industry nationwide and in Bến Tre in particular.

Đạt urged production, packaging, and export units to strictly abide by food safety regulations, quality standards, and phytosanitary procedures as regulated in the protocol on phytosanitary requirements for Vietnamese fresh coconuts exported to China and related regulations.

With the joint efforts of local departments and agencies, Bến Tre now has 133 planting areas and 14 packing facilities granted with codes to export to China. — VNS