Photo: CPV
Vegetables and fruits play an essential role in the agricultural sector for many countries in the world, including Indonesia and Vietnam. Indonesia and Vietnam are known for their various kinds of special vegetables and fruits for domestic and export consumption.
According to the data of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, in 2019, Indonesia exported around 853 tons of fruits to Vietnam with a value of around US$ 1.01 million with details: Mango (240 tons, US$ 386.000), other fruits (246 tons, US$ 358.000), Pineapple (268 tons, US$ 210.000), Raspberry and Blackberry (92 tons, US$ 42.000), and Durian (7 tons, US$ 16.000). No record of fruits importation was made from Vietnam to Indonesia in 2019.
On fruits, Indonesia’s main export products are pineapples, banana, durian, salacca, mangosteen, etc with export markets mainly to China, the United States, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Italy, Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Egypt.
Photo: CPV
As for Vietnamese major export fruits are dragon fruits, durian, mango, banana, mangosteen, longan, jackfruit, coconut. In recent years, the quantity of exported mango and lychee has increased rapidly. The major export markets mainly to China, the USA, Korea, Japan, Netherlands, Laos, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, and the UAE.
The online session starts with welcoming remarks by His Excellency Mr. Ibnu Hadi, Ambassador of Indonesia to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, followed by 5 (five) speakers, namely (i) Mr. Denny Abdi, Director for Southeast Asia Affairs of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (ii) Mr. Bambang Sugiharto, Director for Processing and Marketing for Horticultural Products of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, (iii) Mr. Adnan, Head for Center of Plant Protection and Biodiversity Security of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, (iv). Ms. Ha Thanh Huong, Deputy Director of Plant Quarantine Division, Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (MARD), and (v) Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruits and Vegetables Association/VINAFRUITS.
The online session concludes that both Indonesia and Vietnam must work together on reviving current MoU on Agricultural Cooperation between Indonesia and Vietnam that was signed on June 27th 2013. The Agricultural Quarantine Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia has sent request for market access for Indonesian fruits products to enter Vietnam: pineapple, mangosteen, banana, dragon fruit, mango and salacca (snake-dragon fruit). Until now, only Salacca is under the process of pest risk analysis of MARD while others still need to be responded.
Photo: CPV
Indonesia and Vietnam should start the discussion on exploring more potentials on fruit trade, such as opening market access to fruit products that is mutually beneficial for the two countries. Each country represents an alternative market to another with the current situation of the pandemic of Covid-19 as well as the trade war between the United States and China.
Around 90 participants joined the online session, comprising government officials, fruits exporters and importers, fruits association as well as students from both Indonesia and Vietnam./.