As many as 17 tonnes of Vietnamese fresh lychee have been exported to Australia, marking the first time the fruit has gained entry into this market.

Vietnamese fresh lychee are sold in Australia (Photo: VNA)

Sending Vietnamese lychee to Australia has taken 12 years and several rounds of negotiations. It is hoped that successful lychee exports to Australia will pave the way for other Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the country.

According to Viet Nam’s Trade Office in Australia, the goods arrived in major Australian cities including Melbourne and Sydney from June 12-19 and received a positive market response.

Vietnamese lychee was lauded by Australian consumers for its quality, fragrance and taste. It was sold for about 22 AUD per kilogramme in super markets.

Nguyen Hoang Thuy from Viet Nam’s Trade Office in Australia said in an attempt to carve a niche in the country’s market, Viet Nam should invest in irradiation and packaging facilities in harvesting areas to ensure product quality and save costs.

The office has cooperated with individuals and organisations to conduct a number of promotion campaigns to support Vietnamese agricultural products in the host market.

(Source: VNA)