The export coconut milk production process at Bến Tre Coconut Investment Company (Bienco). – VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY - Việt Nam's coconut sector is growing significantly, with export turnover forecast to reach up to US$1.15 billion by the end of 2025, keeping the country among the world’s top five coconut exporters.

Cao Bá Đăng Khoa, general secretary of the Việt Nam Coconut Association, said that exports of the sector’s four main product groups hit $520 million in the first half of 2025 and up 20 per cent year-on-year.

The four main export product groups include fresh coconuts, frozen coconut milk, crude coconut oil, and coconut-based food and cosmetic products.

He predicted that the total export turnover for coconut products in 2025 would be $1.1-1.15 billion and up approximately 20-25 per cent compared to 2024. Fresh coconut exports alone could exceed last year’s $390 million.

In addition, the price of Vietnamese coconuts has risen dramatically. In 2023, coconuts sold at farms at around VNĐ5,000 ($0.20) per coconut, but the price has risen to VNĐ15,000 by the third quarter of 2025.

He stressed that to tap market potential, the coconut sector should prioritise sustainable development by banning harmful pesticides and promoting good production practices to farmers and workers.

Moreover, Việt Nam’s coconut sector needs product traceability.

Currently, the sector is still struggling with small-scale, unplanned coconut farming, which leads to inconsistent quality, varieties and size of coconuts, making it difficult for enterprises to purchase them.

Nguyễn Thị Kim Thanh, chairwoman of the association, noted that the Mekong Delta is the country’s largest coconut-growing zone.

For sustainable development, the sector needs a stable supply of raw materials in both quantity and quality.

According to Dr. Trần Minh Hải, deputy rector of the Institute for Public Policy and Rural Development, the key to enhancing exports is the cooperative model.

Farmers must make a clear distinction between coconuts for drinking and coconuts for oil extraction to avoid losses.

China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) has approved six new cultivation area codes and coconut packing facilities in An Giang Province. This allows Vietnamese fresh coconuts to gain a stronger foothold in the Chinese market.

However, Khoa noted that while China consumes more than six billion coconuts annually, Vietnamese fresh coconuts only rank seventh to eighth in import volume. Conversely, in the processed coconut segment, Việt Nam holds a competitive advantage. –VNS