Vietnam rakes in over US$14 million from longan exports
VOV.VN - Vietnam earned more than US$14 million from exporting longans last year, witnessing a 2.5-fold rise year on year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.
The fruit secured the second largest export growth last year after durian, with China, Australia, Thailand, and Japan all being the major importers.
Paul Le, vice president of Central Retail in Vietnam, said Vietnamese longans have been favoured among Thai consumers as the export volume of the fruit to the market soared by about 40% last year.
Last year witnessed the export price of Vietnamese longans remain stable. Currently, the price of Ido longan, a longan variety from Thailand grown in Vietnam, stood at between VND16,000 and VND18,000 per kilo. At this price, local farmers earned a profit of between VND8 million and VND15 million per 1,000 square metres.
With regard to future export prospects, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association said China is the largest consumer of Vietnamese longans, noting that the Vietnamese fruit is highly competitive with the Thai in the potential market thanks to its improved product quality, helping to meet stringent export standards.
Currently, longan is among the top five fruit trees with the largest growing area in Vietnam with more than 80,000 hectares and an average output of about 600,000 tonnes annually.
