Plenty of room for Vietnamese fruit in the EU market

For example, food blogs have contributed to the need for consumers and food experts to experiment with more tropical fruits.

Preliminary processing of dragon fruit before packing in Tien Giang province.Illustration: Nam Thai/VNA

 Also, restaurants use tropical fruits to innovate or garnish their dishes, like garnishing desserts with currants or star fruit. Retailers import a variety of fruits for consumers to choose from.

Some tropical fruits such as pomegranates become popular every year; Passion fruit, lychee, and currants are also available at some major retailers on different occasions. Particularly, rambutan and dragon fruit are still considered specialties. This is an opportunity for Vietnamese fruit exporters to conquer this market.

However, each market has different needs. For example, Germany is one of the largest consumers of foreign fruits and imports pomegranates and some other tropical fruits.

Meanwhile, France has a huge seasonal demand for lychee. Belgium is a market with opportunities to re-export lychee and pomegranate. Although Italy is a large consumer market, most tropical fruits are produced domestically or imported from European countries.

Although there are different consumption needs, the representative of the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU noted that all fruits imported into the EU must ensure that the products reach consumers are fresh, delicious and of good quality. especially clean, sustainable and pesticide-free products.

The Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU also emphasized that: Organic certification can be an additional plus. In addition, imported fruit is better evaluated if the product is processed, packaged according to technology and transported by sea, which helps to prolong the shelf life while the fruit still retains its deliciousness.

In fact, shipping by sea has helped save a lot of costs for exporters compared to shipping by air. Besides, the price is also more attractive and affordable for ordinary consumers.

Passion fruit is one of the fruits more suitable for sea transport thanks to improved protective packaging and controlled temperature accuracy.

It can be said that the European market offers a lot of opportunities for countries with tropical fruits, including Vietnam. Therefore, in order to compete and gain a foothold in this market, the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU recommends that Vietnamese fruit exporters must be able to provide high quality products at different times. specific points of the year and find buyers familiar with market characteristics and segments. However, to enter this market, a prerequisite is to comply with the general requirements for fresh fruits and vegetables. It is avoiding pesticide residues and contaminants.

Sorting fresh lychee products at the factory of Global Food Import Export Joint Stock Company (Phuong Son commune, Luc Ngan district, Bac Giang province).Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA

 "Major retailers in some member countries such as Germany and the Netherlands use a stricter maximum residue level (MRL) than the MRL specified in European law. Other channels such as wholesalers and services Foodstuffs need to pay more attention to the appearance and taste of the product and follow the common European guidelines”, the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU informed.

Therefore, exporters need to find out the relevant MRLs for tropical products by consulting the EU MRL database. Along with that, in the production process it is necessary to reduce the amount of pesticides by applying integrated pest management (IPM) in production, as this is an agricultural pest control strategy that includes the practice of farming and chemical management.

The representative of the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium and the EU also noted that exporters need to absolutely follow the regulations on plant quarantine. Exported fruit products must have a phytosanitary certificate before being brought into the EU.

On the other hand, exporters need to maintain high quality standards as well as pay attention to the safe and intact preservation of products during transportation and handling to ensure that the fruit is in good condition in the market. export market. In particular, retailers can also impose individual standards, such as Tesco Nurture, larger Nordic retail chains are more willing to buy products if they adhere to sustainability and social standards. festival.

Moreover, with packaging, businesses should also note that small tropical fruits such as lychee, rambutan and passion fruit are packed in carton boxes from 1.5 to 2.5 kg.

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