Lychee exports to Australia off to great start
(VOV) - A pilot program to export fresh lychees into Australia could open up the prospect of substantially increased Vietnamese agricultural exports to the market downunder.
If the program works, the Vietnam Trade Office (VTO) in Australia has said it could be extended to other fruits and vegetables currently off limits for direct import, potentially resulting in tens of millions of dollars of revenues for the agriculture industry.
The VTO has reported that so far the program has met with success and the first batches of fruit passed the quarantine regulations and are now appearing in supermarkets.
Over the past week, the Rong Do Company has shipped 12 tonnes of lychees to Melbourne while Fosti and Thien Anh Minh have also transported one tonne of lychees to Sydney.
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Melbourne by Anh Sao Duong Company in turn has announced it will ship 3.5 tonnes of the fruit to Australia next week.
The VTO has cautioned that to insure the continued success of the pilot program local authorities should support businesses in investing in the latest packaging and irradiation equipment.
The newer irradiation and other technologies now make it possible to safeguard against exporting pests and will allow for increased direct imports with tight controls the VTO said.
In addition, the VTO said it is coordinating with the Vietnam Business Association in Australia to organise ‘A Vietnam Lychee Day in Australia’ with the aim of increasing the visibility of Vietnam lychee.
It has also printed recipes for lychees dishes and produced a short film on Vietnam lychees that is being broadcast throughout the country.