Vietnam grows as key importer of Australian grapes

February 27, 2019 | 20:38

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Vietnam is now the 7th largest importer of table grapes from Australia, official data shows.

vietnam grows as key importer of australian grapes

There is a rising appetite in Vietnam for Australian table grapes

Hort Innovation, an agricultural research firm backed by the Australian government, revealed that over the past four years, Australian table grape exports have grown by 73 per cent. Part of the increase is attributable to higher demand from Vietnam, which is now the world's 7th largest importer of this Australian specialty.

"Vietnam is a key exporting country for Australia, and the Australian table grape industry has worked hard to educate and promote Australian grapes to Vietnamese consumers,” said Dianne Phan, acting trade lead at Hort Innovation.

This week, key growers from Australia's Sunraysia region, representatives from the Australian Table Grapes Association, and a delegation from Austrade will be visiting Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to spruik the product.

Sunraysia, a farming region in the states of Victoria in New South Wales, is responsible for 99 per cent of grape farming in Australia. The grape season usually starts in November, peaking in March, before ending in May.

Australian Table Grapes Association CEO Jeff Scott said several new varieties were coming into production for export this year. The list includes Sweet Nectar, Sweet Sapphire, Pristine Seedless, Long Crimson, Cotton Candy, and Melody Seedless.

“As an industry, we are seeing year-on-year growth in table grape exports and this is a very pleasing outcome for growers," said Scott.

With Vietnam and Australia both part of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), opportunities for bilateral trade are growing. Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade estimated that Vietnam imported $1.74 billion and exported $3.8 billion worth of fruits in 2018.

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