Five tonnes of Vietnam’s red flesh dragon fruit were recently shipped to Australia in a bid to seek new markets for Vietnamese fruit exports amid difficulties stemming from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Farmers harvest dragon fruits for exports (Photo: VNA)

The batch is expected to reach Melbourne in Victoria state in several days, a result of joint efforts by the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, the Melbourne-based Da Lat export-import company and the Department of Trade and Industry of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Long An, said head of the trade office Nguyen Phu Hoa.

With the support of the Embassy and Consulate General of Vietnam in Australia, a trade promotion event will be held to bolster consumption of the fruit, which is among Vietnam’s key products, in the biggest Oceania market, Hoa added.

Vietnamese dragon fruit was allowed to enter Australia in July 2017, after nine years of negotiations. Notably, the Australian side opened its door for only fresh dragon fruit from Vietnam.

In September 2018, the first batch of red flesh dragon fruit grown in the northern province of Vinh Phuc was exported to Australia, paving the way for Vietnam to bolster exports to one of the world’s most demanding markets.