Establishment of the Vietnam Mango Association - the first comprehensive institutional forum between private sector, institutions and policymakers

Mango is one of the main tropical fruits produced in Vietnam, second only to banana. Vietnam is also the 10th biggest mango producer worldwide, but the development of the mango industry in Vietnam has been hindered by a number of constraints.

For mango producers and exporters, opportunities for market development remain unexploited due to the lack of an organized representation of sector interests, with limited national and regional mango branding development.

GQSP Vietnam has been working intensively with mango industry in Vietnam and soon identified a lack of mutual voice of public and private mango value chain actors. Without it, mango producers failed to identify critical issues along the value chain and present their needs. They also have difficulties in sharing feasible solutions and applying industry-wide standards to improve quality.  

Under GQSP Vietnam’s advocacy effort and provided capacity building, the Vietnam Fruit  Association (VinaFruit) has successfully established Vietnam Mango Association to address those gaps. Our support was seen from the early stage of policy advocacy, proposal, and development of regulations for the Association. This is also one notable outcome of the project’s consultations of the private and public sectors through a series of technical workshops, roundtable, and B2B meetings. These consultations are being translated into evidence-supported recommendations which will orient the sector policy formulation, in cooperation with related central agencies (VinaFruit).

In July 2022, the Vietnam Mango Association has been launched in Dong Thap province under framework of the Mango Festival. It has offices in Ho Chi Minh City and localities with mango growing areas. The Executive Committee of the Association has 11 members, presenting stakeholders in mango-growing provinces, such as local government, cooperatives, and exporters.

Photo 1: The Launching Ceremony of Vietnam Mango Association

“On behalf of mango producers and farmers, we welcome the launch of Vietnam Mango Association. As members of the Executive Committee, we will work closely with relevant state management agencies to provide orientations and plans for farmers and growers to expand the mango industry. Through the Association, the difficulties of mango growers will also be better presented and supported. From there, it helps businesses and farmers connect to find markets for different local mango varieties.” – shared Ms. Le Minh Thuy Trang, General Director of Trang Group, member of Vietnam Mango Association Executive Committee.

Photo 2: Mango value chain actors speaking out their needs and expectations in the Launching Ceremony of Vietnam Mango Association

In the upcoming future, mango producers and traders will benefit from this comprehensive, regular and well-informed forum to support each other in production and business development, build mango supply chains, connect for consumption, and expand markets.

The Vietnam GQSP program "Improving the quality and standards compliance capacity of the Mango value chain in the Mekong Delta" have been and will continue to support the Vietnam Mango Association to build a strategic vision and a roadmap to achieve it as well as support them and build their capacity to successfully implement the strategy. At the same time, we are providing technical advice in compliance with international standards to businesses of the Association to successfully export fresh mangoes to new markets.