In February 2024, in Viet Yen town, a batch of frozen Vietnamese gac fruit was exported to the South Korean market for the first time. Notably, this product was produced by local farmers in Bac Giang province. This event opened up prospects for developing a new market for this unique Vietnamese agricultural product.
The exported batch of frozen Vietnamese gac fruit weighed over 4 tons, with a value of nearly $10,000. This is also Vietnam’s first official shipment of frozen gac fruit from Vietnam to the South Korean market. It was the cooperation between Gac Viet Agricultural Cooperative and a Vietnamese fruit export company.
Frozen Vietnamese gac fruit
South Korea is a very promising market for frozen Vietnamese gac fruit due to its proximity and fast transportation time. In recent years, Vietnam’s export turnover of fruits and vegetables to South Korea has been continuously increasing, with annual growth of 10–25%. This indicates that the South Korean market is becoming increasingly important for Vietnam’s agricultural exports in Asia and globally.
Beside using as food, Vietnamese gac is a raw material for producing pharmaceuticals and functional foods. However, to export to this market, Vietnamese gac products must undergo multiple checks. These include pest control, food safety, packaging standards, and traceability. All of these measures meet the requirements of both South Korean authorities and Vietnamese regulatory agencies.
Vietnam’s gac tree is a perennial plant that only needs to plant once and harvest for decades. With advances in varieties and cultivation techniques, gac yields can reach over 20 tons of fruit per hectare. Moreover, Vietnamese gac is highly nutritious, rich in antioxidants, and offers various health benefits.
Vietnamese gac fruit
In recent years, many localities in Vietnam have shifted to cultivating gac on small farms with high efficiency. Currently, in the northern provinces, gac is mainly available in Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Bac Giang, and Hung Yen. The cultivation areas range from 150 to 500 hectares.
Due to the northern climate, gac bears fruit from August to September, with harvests from November to January. In the southern provinces such as Tay Ninh, Long An, Tien Giang, and Dong Nai, gac grows year-round thanks to mild weather and high humidity. Additionally, favorable soil moisture also supports its continuous growth of Vietnamese gac trees.
To date, including the South Korean market, frozen Vietnamese gac fruit has reached more than 10 countries. These include particularly demanding markets such as the United States and Japan. The export volume of Vietnamese gac to the United States reaches an average of 500–1,000 tons per year.
Vietnamese source: https://thongtincongthuong.vn/xuat-khau-lo-gac-dong-lanh-dau-tien-sang-han-quoc