Vietnamese dragon fruit went up for sale at Australian grocery stores from September 24 after nine years of negotiations, following lychees and mangoes.
The first batch of Vietnamese dragon fruit was exported to Australia by Hoang Phat one-member Ltd Co in the southern province of Long An.
According to Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, head of the Vietnamese trade office in Australia, this is a good opportunity for Vietnamese businesses as quality dragon fruit will be sold at high prices. Australian consumers currently purchase off-season dragon fruit at 30 AUD per kilogrammes (23.89 USD).
Export enterprises need to pay attention to food safety and hygiene and quarantines to earn a foothold in Australia’s fastidious market, she added.
The Vietnamese Trade Office in Australia is working with the Embassy and Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney to promote Vietnamese dragon fruit, with activities including include short videos, books and leaflets. The Vietnamese Dragon Fruit Day is scheduled for September 30 in Melbourne.
The office will work with the Australian Fruit and Vegetable Associations to promote fruit trade between two countries, comprising a programme to enhance Vietnamese businesses’ competitiveness and bring Vietnamese dragon fruit to Australia’s supply chain.
Dragon fruit is one of Vietnam’s key export fruits, and saw export sales of 895.7 million USD in 2016, 50.3 percent of the country’s total fresh fruit exports and 36.1 percent of its total fruit and vegetable exports.
Vietnamese dragon fruit has been exported to 40 countries and territories such as China, Thailand and Indonesia.
Long An province earns about 40 million USD annually from dragon fruit export. The province has defined dragon fruit as its second most important crop, only after rice.