First batch of fresh Vietnamese longan arrives in Australia

Sydney – The first batch of fresh Vietnamese longan has landed in Australia’s Melbourne airport.

Longan is the fourth kind of fruit that Vietnam has exports to Australia (Photo: VNA)

Anne Le, director of Green Path Australia, an affiliate of Green Path Vietnam which shipped the Vietnamese specialty to Australia, said the batch of longan originated from Hanoi. 

She said the batch of fruit left Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 4. After arriving in Melbourne on September 5, the fruit had to undergo strict inspections which ensured that they satisfied all import standards of Australia.

The longan is scheduled to go on sale in Melbourne on September 9.

For the Vietnamese longan to enter the Australian market, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had to hold long negotiations with Australia and complete many procedures.

On August 29, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong and Australian Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie officially announced the export of Vietnamese longan to Australia. 

Longan is the fourth kind of fruit that Vietnam exports to Australia, after litchi, mango and dragon fruit.

Meanwhile, Australia is exporting 148 kinds of seeds, four types of fruits (grape, orange, tangerine and cherry), and seven kinds of grass seeds to Vietnam.