Vietnam increases coconut imports by 20 times

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit), in the first seven months, coconut imports reached 31.2 million USD, an increase of 1,873% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, overall fruit and vegetable imports only increased by 18%, totaling 1.45 billion USD. Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of Vinafruit, said the sharp increase in import demand is due to the rapid growth in coconut exports, but limited domestic production and high prices. "The markets of China, the United States, and the Middle East are all aggressively purchasing coconuts from Vietnam, making the supply for domestic processing increasingly tight," he said. The United States officially opening its doors to fresh Vietnamese coconuts from 2023 and China from August 2024 further stimulated exports. In the past seven months, this product brought in 306.2 million USD, of which whole coconuts reached 102.8 million USD (an increase of 14.9%), and processed coconuts reached ...