Vietnam’s farm produce exports to Australia surge
Vietnam earned US$46.5 million and US$13.2 million from exporting vegetables and fruits, and rice to Australia in the seven months of this year, up over 45% and 37% year-on-year, respectively.
Nguyen Phu Hoa, head of the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, said that the agency has actively implemented digitisation of business support activities in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, including launching an application to connect Vietnamese businesses and localities with Australia partners, and organising large-scale online exhibitions.
It has also supported Vietnamese enterprises in promoting their products among the Vietnamese community in Australia, and called on overseas Vietnamese to use made-in-Vietnam goods.
These joint efforts of the office and domestic exporters have turned out positive results.
Notably, the export turnover of dragon fruit - one of four fresh fruits of Vietnam allowed to export to Australia, hit nearly US$29 million, up over 84% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, the export value of fresh mango, logan and lychee reached US$4.4 million, US$150,000 and US$508,000, up over 8%, nearly 134% and over 93%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, it has coordinated with importers in Australia to hold a programme themed “Vietnam - the land of the best rice in the world” from August 8 to September 27 in Melbournen, Perth and Sydney cities in order to further promote Vietnamese rice in the market.
In addition to traditional fresh farm produce, a number of other frozen agricultural products and vegetables have also started to make inroads into Australia.
In the first six months, Vietnam's frozen ginger exports to the largest market in Oceania grew by 988% over the same period last year, reaching US$642,000.
Most recently, 22 tonnes of frozen dracontomelon worth over VND6 billion (nearly US$263,000) were also shipped to the market.