Now Truong Van Roi, the director of the Cooperative, said he is happy to announce that sales have really taken off, with the export of another 100 metric tons in just the first five months of the year. In addition, Mr Roi said, the sales price has risen from US$1.70 to US$1.90 per kilo during the same time frame. In other good news, he said the cooperative transported 20 metric tons of lemons and longan to the Jae Company in the Republic of Korea (RoK) during the period January through May. Ngo Quoc Thang, the CEO of Lavifood in turn has reported that his company’s mango exports are also skyrocketing so far this year, having sold around 1,000 metric tons of frozen fruit to the US and RoK combined in the first five months.
Meanwhile the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association (Vinafruit) is also reporting strong growth in vegetable and fruit exports in the early months of the year, driven by particularly strong growth in sales to the US and RoK markets. This year, we expect exports to the US and RoK to set all-time highs, said an official of Vinafruit. Late last April, US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak expressed an interest in importing mango and star apple fruit, said the official, and negotiations are currently underway with Ho Chi Minh City leaders and fruit exporters to close the deal.
