According to Deputy Minister of Trade Tran Duc Minh, this is also the target for export set by the national development programme on fruit, vegetable and flower production and export. This target was discussed and agreed by the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), he added.

However, it is possible to identify that the target assigned by the MARD in the fruit, vegetable, flower and ornamental plant development programme for 1999-2010 has failed far a short of expectations. In an interview granted to a VOV reporter, Nguyen Tri Ngoc, head of the MARD’s Planting Department, officially admitted this failure. The matter now is whether the Trade Ministry’s export target is realized or not. Mr Ngoc also provided some analysis of the issue.

Trade Ministry’s export target has a “problem”

The Trade Ministry’s national development programme on fruit, vegetable and flower production and export has drawn due attention from some localities and businesses. However, there are opposite opinions on the set target of earning US$600-700 million from the export of fruit, vegetables and flowers in 2010 and around US$1 billion in 2015.

Many experts from ministries and central agencies have also raised their concerns over the export target of the national programme although this target has an additional five years to be fulfilled, compared to the MARD’s fruit, vegetable, flower and ornamental plant development programme for 1999-2010. They said that in the current context when the MARD’s programme seems to be at a standstill (netting US$213 million and US$280 million in 2000 and 2006, respectively), it is difficult to realize the target of US$600-700 million from fruit, vegetable and flower exports in 2010 and US$1 billion in 2015.

Deputy Minister of Trade Tran Duc Minh explained: “We must understand that the US$1-billion export turnover is a common target for fruit, vegetable and flower exports in the 2007-2015 period.”

If the explanation of Deputy Minister Minh is reasonable, is it therefore necessary to build the national programme on exporting vegetables, flowers and fruits to achieve the set target export turnover? In fact, the fruit, vegetable and ornamental plant programmes of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is geared up for the target.

Is it feasible?

While we are not clear about the potential of vegetables, flowers and fruits, it will be difficult to evaluate the implementation and success of the national programme. If the goals of the programme have not been identified, how can we compare and assess effectiveness? Therefore, we only focus on how we can raise the export turnover of vegetables, flowers and fruits.

According to many experts, we also need to overcome some shortcomings in exporting vegetables, flowers and fruits, relating to post-harvest preservation, food hygiene and safety, techniques and professional skills in export-import activities, and state policies.

In fact, although we want to increase the export turnover, we encountered difficulties at the production stage. For example, some Singaporean enterprises want to sign contracts to buy 500kilos of flowers per day for many years, none localities or enterprises have met their requirements.

Mr Pham Quoc Doanh, deputy head of the Agriculture department said if we can maintain the way of producing and exporting vegetables, flowers and fruits on a small scale, it is difficult to export them. Currently, it takes at least one to two days to collect all the products, which easily become withered during the time. Therefore, we are in disadvantageous position in exporting the products compared to other countries. Mr Doanh said if we carry out strict requirements in the local market, it is possible that various kinds of vegetables, flowers and fruits will be also eliminated.

Mr Minh said there are four kinds of exporting vegetables, flowers and fruits. First are fresh products. Second are frozen products. Third, clean vegetables packaged in nylons and vacuum packed to keep them fresh during transporting and fourth are canned and dry products. Currently, we mainly export canned and dry products.