Vietnam is looking to transform its already healthy passion fruit sector into a billion-dollar export industry according to Viet Nam News. In 2024, the country exported $172mn worth of passion fruit, with the first five months of 2025 already reaching nearly $100mn the report says, up 14.5% on 2024.

Currently, around 10,400 hectares are under cultivation, producing roughly 163,000 tonnes annually. The Central Highlands dominate the sector, accounting for 85% of cultivation and 90% of output, placing the country 17th globally in plantation area. Despite this, the industry faces fragmented value chains, inconsistent markets, and unsustainable farming practices.

Farmers across the nation struggle with disease-prone varieties and limited access to modern post-harvest and processing technologies. Enterprises such as Nafoods Group highlight weak coordination between cooperatives, farmers, and businesses, Viet Nam News says with technical guidelines for fertilisers and pest control often ignored, affecting both quality and sustainability.

As a result, officials say strengthening value chain linkages and adhering to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards are key. Expanding registered growing areas and packaging facility codes, particularly in the Central Highlands, will help stabilise production and meet importers’ food safety requirements while investment in high-yield, disease-resistant varieties is also crucial for expansion to increase.

With 70–80% of output already reaching more than 20 countries, passion fruit - alongside the pineapple and banana markets - is seen as one of Vietnam’s most promising candidates to achieve billion-dollar export revenues.