The Vietnamese Dragon Fruit Weeks are taking place in several major Australian cities to promote the Vietnamese tropical fruit among Australian consumers as well as export activities in this lucrative market.

Vietnamese dragon fruit on the shelves at Coles supermarket in Australia. Photo: moit.gov.vn

The event is launched by the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, along with the recent arrival of 10 tons of Vietnamese dragon fruit in Australia.

The program focuses on customers of supermarkets and shopping malls and the young generation in Australia with the aim of building a sustainable Vietnamese dragon fruit brand, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia.

A booth to introduce Vietnamese dragon fruit focusing on parents and students was also held at the Paddington primary school campus in Sydney within the framework of the weekly fair.

In the context of a resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic, some major cities of “the land of kangaroos” are applying high-level social isolation measures, causing difficulties for the promotion activities. However, the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia is still trying to keep such promotion fairs of Vietnamese dragon fruit exports running.

Last July, at a regular online trade meeting with the Vietnam Trade Office in Australia, local supermarkets and importers said that demand for dragon fruit from Vietnam was high in this market.

After lychee and mango, dragon fruit is the next Vietnamese fruit allowed to be imported to Australia with a decision announced on August 24, 2017, by the Australian side.

Dragon fruit is one of the key export items of Vietnam with export turnover remaining stable in the first half of 2021. Its foreign revenue was nearly $4.2 million in 2020, up 36% against 2019.

At supermarkets specializing in fruit and fresh food in big cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, the price of Vietnamese dragon fruit is around AUD9-15 per kilogram ($6.6-$11).