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Jul 21, 2016 / 11:30

Vietnam looks to export more fruit and vegetable to Australia

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, the country which imports 1.7 - 2 billion USD of fruit and vegetable each year, is expected to be a attractive market for Vietnamese fruit and vegetable.

The Vietnam Customs said that Vietnam exported over 1.3 billion USD worth of goods to Australia in the first six months of 2016, of which fruit and vegetable made up 10.3 million USD.
In 2015, the figure was 19.6 million USD and 17.4 million USD in 2014.
Last year, Vietnam received approval from Australia’s Department of Agriculture to export lychees to their market.
Australia at present has licensed the import of Vietnamese fresh lychees only with more than 10 tonnes shipped to the market so far.
Vietnamese dragon fruits and mangoes are expected to enter the market in the coming time.
In 2013, the Vietnamese Farmers Association in North Australia with 100 Vietnamese farming households, built a distribution system of Vietnamese mangoes with popular brand names in the Australian market, including Vina Mango and T.V Farms, Binh Duong Farm and Saigon Farm.
In April, 2016, Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Luong Thanh Nghi, and Head of Vietnam Trade Office in Australia Nguyen Thi Hoang Thuy, met with the executive committee of Vietnamese Farmers Association in North Australia. The association is committed to support the import and distribution of Vietnamese mangoes in the Australian market.

 
Last year, Vietnam received approval from Australia’s Department of Agriculture to export lychees to their market.
Last year, Vietnam received approval from Australia’s Department of Agriculture to export lychees to their market.
In late June, a delegation from Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources came to HCM City, the Mekong Delta provinces of Long An and Tien Giang, and Binh Thuan province to inspect the cultivation and harvest of dragon fruits before the fruits are ready for export.
According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, the visit is an important part in the risks analysis process. The Australian Government is scheduled to release a draft report for public comment at the end of 2016.
Vietnam conducted evaluation of market access for dragon fruits right after Australia approved the import of Vietnamese fresh lychees in 2015.
The process to pave the way for fresh fruits to reach the market takes at least two years, the office said.
Apart from fruits, Vietnam can expect to expand its export of frozen, dried or processed fruit and vegetable to Australia, which currently imports 5-7 million USD worth of frozen mixed vegetable from China, but only 1,000 USD worth of the same products from Vietnam.
Australia also spends between 8-10 million USD on vegetable and dried mixed vegetable from China, but a mere 20,000-30,000 USD on those from Vietnam.
The most important task to be solved in order to export more Vietnamese fruit and vegetable to the Australian market is ensuring food safety and hygiene, its strict quarantine regulations from growing, harvesting to processing.