New Zealand apple exporters are trying to capitalise on the increasingly wealthy Vietnamese consumer while elbowing out global competition.
As this season’s New Zealand apple crop is sent off to international markets, exporters are hustling to benefit from the relationship with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as both “friends” and business partners.
Vietnam is now the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia, and two-way trade with New Zealand is valued at $2.68 billion, after growing 40% in the past five years.
Horticultural imports and exports between the two countries have been largely complementary due to climatic conditions.
“Many people say Vietnam is like the new China just maybe 10 years behind,” McLeod said.
“It’s seen rapid growth in the last 10 to 15 years.
“It’s come from what was a poor to lower income country to now a lower to middle income country.
“And so we’ve seen a real rise in demand for New Zealand goods because they can afford them right now.”
McLeod said several free trade agreements between New Zealand and Vietnam put the country in good stead with other rival fruit markets, namely the United States.
“Free trade agreements are all important to try and help us get a little bit of leverage where we can because we still have to compete.
“We have to compete with the likes of Chile and South Africa, particularly in the southern hemisphere window.
“And then a bit of overlapping from northern hemisphere when there’s a bit of a United States fruit still floating around.
“So we have to compete on the international stage. And market access is everything for us, right?”
Nelson apple exporter Heartland Fruit sent its first container of fruit to Vietnam in 2012, under its Luv’ya brand.
Since then, its apple exports to Vietnam have soared to more than 100 containers in 2024, to the value of $7.83m.
Heartland Fruit sales and marketing manager Brendon Osborn said Vietnam’s population was becoming increasingly wealthy, marked by the rise of large locally-owned retail super-malls targeted at medium and high-income shoppers.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in Hanoi. Photo / Giles Dexter, RNZ
“It’s become very competitive, and I think that’s because there’s just a huge influx of apples into that market,” Osborn said.
“I think we’re trying to differentiate ourselves from the rest by providing the trademark varieties, aiming for the premium import segment, so the quality’s got to be tip-top.
“And if anything, they’ve become more demanding in the last couple of years on quality.”
Osborn said fruit production in other southern hemisphere markets was generally cheaper than in New Zealand.
Industry-owned company Prevar, in Hawke’s Bay, was set up to develop and commercialise apple and pear varieties for licensee growers.
Prevar chief executive Tony Martin - formerly New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s trade commissioner and consul general to Vietnam - said there was still room for apple exports to grow further into the market of 100 million people.
But he said companies would need to double down on investments in marketing, fruit quality and maintaining in-market contacts.
“It’s very, very competitive,” Martin said.
“New Zealand’s not a scale producer. We have made ourselves successful through quality and premium products, so we can’t compete on volume, but we can compete on quality.
“So New Zealand has to stay focused on premium and it’s got to stay focused on innovation and doing stuff that stands us apart from other competitor countries.”
McLeod of Mr Apple echoed Martin, and said companies had to continue to tell the unique New Zealand story.
“We’ve just got to keep flying the flag high, and we’ve got to remain optimistic and positive,” he said.
“We’ve got the best crop we’ve seen out there since 2018 and we’ve just got to keep promoting and selling the dream to our customers offshore that we’re here for the longer term.”
Another competitor, fresh produce giant T&G Global, benefited from a business deal to expand the distribution of its apples into Vietnam during the diplomatic visit led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in late February.
Signed too, was a comprehensive strategic partnership with the republic, making New Zealand one of just 12 countries to hold the high-level partnership with Vietnam.
Having just returned to Aotearoa from the visit to Vietnam led by Luxon in late February, New Zealand’s new Trade and Investment Minister of State, Nicola Grigg, told Parliament that New Zealand was well-placed to capitalise on Vietnam’s growing demand for high-value food and beverage.
“As Vietnam gets wealthier, Vietnamese people want to buy high-quality products from around the world and we, of course, have some of the best food and beverage producers and innovative businesses around,” Grigg said.
“The more we trade with the world, the more we grow our economy, which translates to more jobs, higher incomes and more money in the back pocket of everyday New Zealanders.”
Vietnam’s economy had grown by about 5% each year for more than two decades.
Agriculture was important to Vietnam, accounting for about 12% of its GDP and employing about 27% of the labour force - but also to New Zealand.
