Vietnamese Coconuts Nearing Official China Market Access

According to Vietnamese media reports, the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has announced that the General Administration of Customs of China will soon perform on-site inspections of Vietnamese coconut farms and processing facilities wishing to export to China. The inspections are scheduled to take place in mid-August.

The Plant Protection Department has issued instructions to Agricultural and Rural Development Departments in various provinces and cities, urging them to promptly complete all of the required documents requested by the GACC and to assign technical personnel to offer support and guidance to the farms and processing facilities undergoing inspection. After the inspections have been completed, the GACC will proceed with its assessment of harmful organisms.

In recent years, prices of Vietnamese coconuts have suffered a significant decline due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While these coconuts have been exported to China through informal channels for years, Vietnam has been actively seeking to secure official market access to boost prices.

Currently, Vietnam has over 180,000 hectares of coconut plantations and ranks seventh in the world in terms of coconut production, with a total annual export value of coconuts and coconut products exceeding $9 million. Coconut cultivation in the country is concentrated in the Central Coast and Mekong Delta regions, including provinces such as Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.

At present, approximately 78,000 hectares of land in Ben Tre are devoted to the crop, making it the province with the largest coconut growing area. Over 70% of the province’s population relies on coconut farming as their primary source of livelihood. The coconut industry contributes 20.69% to the province’s total industrial output and accounts for 42.51% of local export revenue. Coconut products from Ben Tre have been exported to nearly 100 countries and regions, including markets in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, prices of Ben Tre coconuts at one point plummeted to 1,000 Vietnamese dong ($0.04) per piece. While local coconut prices have rebounded with the reopening of the Chinese market this year, the industry is still facing a series of challenges, one of which is oversupply.

With the signing of the protocol for Vietnamese coconut exports to China on the agenda, it is expected that Vietnamese coconuts will soon gain official access to the Chinese market. Just last month, a Chinese food and beverage company took early action by announcing that it would invest over $18 million to establish a coconut juice production plant in Vietnam. Once market access is granted, prices of Vietnamese coconuts are anticipated to rise and become more stable.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.