Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam is a potential market for Australian tablegrapes because of its growing middle class, rapid economic growth and the increasingpurchasing power of Vietnamese consumers.

The statement was made by Yvonne Chan, Australian Deputy Consul-General andSenior Trade Commissioner to Vietnam, at a seminar in Hanoi on February 28.

The event was organised to cement existing trade relations and build newpartnerships among Australian table grape exporters and Vietnamese importers.

Table grapes are produced in all Australian states, with the majority grown inVictoria. Of the country’s roughly 1,000 table grape growers, most aresmall-scale, family owned businesses.

Australia plants an average volume of 170,000 tonnes of table grapes each year,62 percent of which is exported to 42 countries and territories, Chan said.

Vietnam is the 7th largest importer of Australian table grapes with a 4 percentshare, following China (38 percent), Indonesia (15 percent), Japan (10 percent),Hong Kong (7 percent), the Philippines (5 percent) and Thailand (5 percent).

According to Dianne Phan, trade head of Horticulture Innovation AustraliaLimited, Vietnam is a key export market for Australia, and the Australian tablegrape industry has worked hard to introduce Vietnamese consumers of Australiangrapes.

“Over the past four years, Australian table grape exports have grown 73 percent,demonstrating the increasing demand for our high quality and premium produce,”she said.

Australian Table Grapes Association CEO Jeff Scott said several new varietieswere coming into production for export this year such as sweet nectar, sweetsapphire, pristine seedless, long crimson, cotton candy and melody seedless.However, thompson seedless and crimson seedless are still expected to beAustralia’s main export varieties.

“Vietnam is one of the best favourable markets for Australian table grapes,especially thanks to the easy delivery through air flights between the twocountries,” Scott said.

“I expect the exporting volume of Australian table grapes into Vietnam willreach 7,000 tonnes this year, nearly five times higher than that in 2016,”Scott said.

Besides table grapes, Australia is exporting two other types of fruits intoVietnam, including citrus and cherry fruits.

Negotiations are also ongoing to bring Australian stone fruits into the Vietnamesemarket.

“I look forward to the trade ties between Australia and Vietnam being closerand more and more Australian products being presented in Vietnam, especiallyafter the country officially became a member of the Comprehensive andProgressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP),” Chansaid.-VNS/VNA