Ample opportunities in Vietnamese horticulture industry

The Vietnamese horticulture industry is scaling up. Better flower and vegetable varieties are being developed and field production is gradually moving towards protected cultivation. The government has even announced a VND100-trillion ($4.4 billion) package to develop hi-tech agriculture.

The government has even announced a VND100-trillion ($4.4 billion) package to develop hi-tech agriculture.

Vietnam’s exports of fruits and vegetables have enjoyed strong growth in the past years, with an average rate of 26.5 per cent a year, going from $439 million in 2009 to $3.5 billion in 2017. Also, Vietnam has the potential to become one of the world’s largest flower exporters.

According to Arie Veldhuizen, the agricultural counsellor for the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam, the Vietnamese horticulture industry is gradually taking steps to move from traditional open field production to protected cultivation, applying greenhouse technology, precision and automatic irrigation, and computerized crop management systems. Additionally, better flower and vegetable varieties are being developed by applying hybrid as well as post-harvest technology.

The horticulture sector is expected to show further growth due to strong exports and strong domestic demand. The free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam, which will go into effect as of next year, will give an additional boost to the sector.

"Thus, the three-day event connects Vietnamese growers with experts and suppliers from the Netherlands and all over the world to introduce new technologies, plant materials, and products to contribute to the high-tech agricultural development of the region, especially Vietnam," said Veldhuizen.

According to MARD, Vietnam has built brands and geographical indications for key fruit products, including dragon fruit, lychee, longan, mango, and pomelo. The country’s fruit and vegetable exports have penetrated new demanding markets, such as the US, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and strict markets like Germany and the Netherlands.

Source: Vietnam Net