(VNF) – Since Australia has recently reviewed the cultivation, processing and packaging of longans in Vietnam, it is expected that they may grant an import license for the fruit in 2019.

If the product is granted license, longans will become Vietnam’s fourth fruit to gain access to the Australian market, following lychees, mangoes and dragon fruit, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Last month, a team from Australia’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources visited Vietnam to review and assess the cultivation procedure, cultivating area, postharvest treatment, and packaging procedure of longans in the provinces of Ben Tre and Hung Yen, the country’s biggest producers.

After their field assessment in these two provinces, the team appeared to be optimistic that Vietnamese longans may be approved for the Australian market beginning in early 2019.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, a detailed report will be published following the field assessment. Afterwards, officials from the two countries will begin discussions on the terms and conditions for importation, and the Australian department will set import requirements for Vietnam’s fresh longan shipments.

Hoang Trung, director of the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this is good news for Vietnam’s fruit export sector but voiced his concern over strict requirements of the importing country.

Negotiations over the export of other fruits often last long, possibly up to 10 years, said Trung.

Vietnamese longans are predicted to make sizeable returns despite Australia being agriculturally capable of producing the fruit, mainly due to Vietnam’s ability to provide the fruit when it is out-of-season in Australia.

These aforementioned facts give way to the optimism that longans will become the fourth Vietnamese fruit approved for importation into Australia.

At the moment, the US, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (RoK) already import Vietnamese longans and appreciate that the produce is certified as pest-free, homogeneous, safe for consumption, guaranteed quality-wise, and in-season all year round.

Longan fruit, also called Long Nhan (means Dragon Eye in Vietnamese language), are abundant in many provinces in Vietnam.

The sweet, juicy, succulent fruits can be eaten fresh and raw, or used in Asian soups, snacks, desserts, either fresh or dried, and sometimes preserved and canned in syrup.

In Vietnam, longan is also used to prepare a delicious dessert called “ Longan sweet soup with lotus seed” or cooked in water to make a drink called “Longan Water".

If the product is granted license, longans will become Vietnam’s fourth fruit to gain access to the Australian market, following lychees, mangoes and dragon fruit, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. (photo for illustration: Investment News)

In addition, dried longan are often used as a herbal medicines in the Asian community like Vietnam and China, as it is believed to have several positive health impact such as stress relief, immune system boosting, blood enrichment.

Longans, along with dragon fruits, are two of Vietnam’s ten most profitable exports, according to Dr. Nguyen Huu Dat, general secretary of the Vietnam Vegetables and Fruits Export Association.

Dat suggested that more effort be exercised to ensure the quality and health safety of the Vietnamese produce should Vietnam wish to export more fruits and vegetables.

The first Vietnamese fruit approved for the Australian market was lychee in 2015, following 12 years of negotiating importation terms and conditions.

Following lychee's footstep, mango became the second Vietnamese fruit to gain approval by the Australian government after seven years of negotiation in 2016.

In 2017, Vietnamese dragon fruit was licensed for importation into the Australian market, making Vietnam the first Australian-approved dragon fruit exporter.

According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, Vietnam exported more than US$3.5 billion worth of fruit and vegetables in 2017, a rise of 43 percent compared with 2016. This was the highest export value of these products ever recorded by Vietnam. China, Japan, the US and the Republic of Korea (RoK) were the top four importers of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables in the past 11 months. Exports to Japan grew 70.6 percent in 2017 compared with 2016; to the United Arab Emirates, up 57.4 percent; and to China, up 54.9 percent. Vietnamese fruit and vegetables are exported to more than 40 countries and territories.

The export growth is attributed to new markets located and opened up by ministries, sectors, associations and businesses. Apart from China, Vietnam has exported five kinds of fresh fruit (dragon fruit, rambutan, litchi, longan and mango) to discerning markets, including the US, the RoK, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Chinese Taipei. The export volume of these fruit totaled more than 10,350 tonnes in 2017.

Among the export list, dragon fruit and longan are at the first place. The US was the largest importer, with 4,572 tonnes of dragon fruit and 2,681 tonnes of longans, a tribute to the fruits’ stable quality, professional packaging and easy air or sea shipment./.

( VNF )