Dozens of tonnes of Vietnamese longan enter Australia over past few weeks

SYDNEY — Tonnes of Vietnamese longans have been exported to Australia and distributed in the states of South Australia and Western Australia over the past few weeks.

Longan is the fourth Vietnamese fruit to gain permission to enter Australian market after lychee, mango and dragon fruit. — VNA/VNS Photo

The most recent shipments saw 7.5 tonnes of longans from the Mekong Delta provinces arrive in Australia on August 6 and a nine-tonne batch departing from the northern province of Hải Dương on August 8.

The fruit will be showcased at a promotional event, titled Nhãn Việt Nam mình (Vietnamese longans), to be held by the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia.

Both batches were imported by 4 Ways Fresh – a Australia-based agribusiness founded in 1993.

According to 4 Ways Fresh CEO Lý Hoàng Duy, Vietnamese fresh longans have made a good impression with local consumers. Vietnamese longans are sold at lower prices compared to those grown in Australia, Duy said, adding that though the longans are small, they have special flavours and very sweet.

Since the beginning of 2020, 4 Ways Fresh has imported about 30 tonnes of longans from Việt Nam, mostly from suppliers in the Mekong Delta. After the shipment from Hải Dương, the company plans to raise the weekly import to 10 tonnes to meet increasing demand.

The event “Vietnamese longans” will last until the harvest season ends in Việt Nam, according to head of the Việt Nam Trade Office in Australia Nguyễn Phú Hòa. It will include promotional activities on social networks, he added.

In 2019, longan became the fourth Vietnamese fruit to gain permission to enter Australian market after lychee, mango and dragon fruit.