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

household category (83 percent of which consume fruit) and among households in the
Northern Uplands (79 percent).
Per capita consumption of fruits and vegetables is 71 kg, roughly three-quarters of
which are vegetables. The annual value of fruit and vegetable consumption (including home
consumption) is VND 126,000 per person or VND 529,000 per household. This represents
about 4 percent of the household budget.
Fruit and vegetable consumption patterns are influenced by local production
patterns. for example, beans, kohlrabi, and cabbage being more widely consumed in the
North, while mangoes, bananas, oranges, and other fruit are more widely consumed in the
South.
As incomes rise, the consumption of all fruits and vegetables rise, but some more than
others. The consumption of oranges, mangoes, and “other fruit” tend to increase rapidly as
income rises. In contrast, the demand for kohlrabi and water morning glory is less sensitive
to income growth.
Econometric analysis indicates that the income elasticity of vegetables is 0.54, while
that of fruits is 1.09. This implies that the per capita consumption of vegetables will grow at
roughly half the rate of per capita income, while that of fruits will slightly outpace income
growth. Higher fruit consumption seems to be related to the number of older members of a
household, while higher vegetable consumption appears to be associated with lower level of
education by the spouse of the head of household.
About 43 percent of the fruits and vegetables consumed by Vietnamese households
are produced at home. This percentage is higher for fruits, for rural households, and for
households living in the North.
Over the 1990s, fruit and vegetable consumption patterns have become more uniform
and less subject to local production. According to a comparison of the 1993 and 1998 VLSS,
fruit consumption has increased in the North at the expense of vegetable consumption. At the
same time, vegetable consumption has increased at the expense of fruit consumption in the
Mekong Delta.
Overall fruit and vegetable consumption has increased in urban areas and in the
rural South, but it has declined slightly in the rural North and in the Central Highlands. The
decline in vegetable consumption was greater than the increase in fruit consumption.
The average number of different fruit and vegetable products consumed increased
markedly between 1993 and 1998. This is true for all regions and for all income groups. The
greater diversity in fruit and vegetable consumption is probably the result of import
liberalization and improved domestic marketing.
According to an informal survey of urban retail outlets, a wide range of fresh fruits
and vegetables are available. Almost all the vegetables are domestic, but there is a small but
Chapter 9. Conclusions and Policy Implications Page 9-10