Fruits and Vegetables in Vietnam - International Food Policy ...

operating expenses, and profits of fruit and vegetable processors. And Section 12 summarizes the
results of this chapter.
2 Survey methods
The processor survey aimed to provide a balanced sample representing different regions,
commodities, firm sizes, and processor types. Because there is no master list of food processors in
Vietnam, it was not possible to select a stratified random sample. Instead, the survey sample was
purposive. The sample was designed to focus primarily on processors of six fruits (longan, lychee,
banana, pineapple, dragonfruit, and citrus) and four vegetables (tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and
carrots), though a few processors of other commodities were included. Furthermore, the sample was
selected to provide a balance between processors in the north and south, between fruit and vegetable
processors, and across different sizes of processors.
The survey used a 51-page pre-coded questionnaire that was developed through extensive
discussions with Vietnamese researchers and agriculturalists.
In the implementation of the survey, 241 processors from 21 provinces were interviewed. Of
those, around 50 percent (122 processors) were from the two northern regions (the Red River Delta
and the North East) and the remaining 119 processors were from the southern regions (Central
Highlands, Southeast, and Mekong River Delta). Table 5-1 shows that the majority of processors
were located in Red River Delta and Mekong River Delta regions. Only 2 surveyed processors were
located in the Central Highlands region.
More than 67 percent of processors surveyed processed only vegetables, 22 percent processed
only fruit, while the remainder of processors were involved in processing both fruit and vegetables.
Although vegetable processors dominate in both the North and the South, the proportion of fruit
processors was somewhat higher in the South (26 percent) than in the North (18 percent).
As specified in the sample design, processors were to be divided into size categories based on
the level of gross revenue. These divisions were to be made on a tercile basis, with the lowest third
being classified as small, the middle third being classified as medium and the top third being
classified as large. Mixed processors tended to be larger average, and processors in the north tended to
be smaller than in the south.
Given the relative scarcity of data on the characteristics and operations of private enterprises
in Vietnam, the survey was designed to focus on private processors. In fact, 86 percent of the
surveyed processors were either registered private Vietnamese companies (53 percent ) or non
registered private Vietnamese companies (33 percent). About 8 percent were state-owned enterprises
(including those managed by the provinces). The sample also included five registered foreign
companies and three joint-venture companies. The small firms tended to be non-registered private
companies, while the large ones included both registered private firms and state-owned enterprises.
Chapter 5 Fruit and Vegetable Processors Page 5-2