Coconut exports soar 213%

HCM CITY — Exports of coconuts and coconut products are expected to top US$80 million this year, accounting for nearly a fifth of the country’s total fruit exports, the Viet Nam Fruit and Vegetables Association has said.

In the first seven months, exports were worth $55.5 million, a 213 percent rise year-on-year.

Viet Nam’s major coconut product exports are copra and canned coconut milk.

In the January-July period, China, Thailand, Egypt, Germany, and the Netherlands were the largest buyers, with China alone accounting for $31 million, a 192 percent rise. Viet Nam exported mostly copra and fresh coconuts to China.

Shipments of canned coconut milk and fresh coconuts increased significantly this year, with 17 countries buying them, compared to just three last year.

Exports of canned coconut milk were worth $5.6 million.

Fresh coconut exports have increased sharply this year because the country has adopted a preservation method that keeps fresh coconuts for up to six weeks.

Viet Nam harvests 720 million coconuts a year, mostly in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and central coastal provinces.

Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta is the largest producer. — VNS