Việt Nam steps up work to help longan enter Australian market

SYDNEY — The Vietnam Trade Office in Australia is working to help Vietnamese longan exporters gain an import licence from the Australian Government as soon as possible.

A customer buys longan at Big C supermarket in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Mai Hương

The information was released at a Việt Nam-Australia business connection conference held in Sydney last weekend, which gathered leaders of seven Vietnamese localities – Tuyên Quang, Hải Dương, Quảng Bình, Khánh Hòa, Đắk Lắk, Đồng Tháp and Cần Thơ – and representatives from more than 40 Australian firms, investment funds and business associations.

Nguyễn Phú Hòa, head of the office, said following the Australian Department of Agriculture’s recent announcement of import requirements for fresh longan from Việt Nam, his office has held discussions with Vietnamese localities that grow the fruit and businesses from both sides. 

Việt Nam has so far exported lychee, mango, and dragon fruit to the Australian market.

According to Hòa, the office will help exporters of Vietnamese farm produce complete related paperwork and liaison between agencies and businesses of the two countries, while carrying out a series of activities to promote Vietnamese longan in the Oceania country.

The official revealed that the office has built new plans to provide practical aid for Việt Nam’s exports, including the establishment of a support hotline for consumers of Vietnamese products in Australia and a Vietnamese club that offers information to Australian firms.

He also informed the conference that SunRice Australia, which consumes 5 per cent of Việt Nam’s total rice exports, has completed its assistance plan for Việt Nam under a sustainable rice production programme. The plan aims to help Vietnamese rice meet international standards, thus allowing the group to purchase more Japonica and Indica rice from Việt Nam in the next 10 years.  

At the conference, Tom Robb, CEO of The Robb Group, an Australian company that specialises in corporate and capital advisory services, said better-than-ever co-operation opportunities are opening up for Vietnamese and Australian enterprises. 

Graham Kinder, vice president of the Australia Vietnam Business Council, said strong collaboration has been recorded between localities of both nations across all fields from trade to culture and education.