Japan welcomes Vietnamese longan despite its high retail pricing.

Although retail prices for Vietnamese longan are high in Japan, it represents a significant potential for Vietnamese farmers.

The first batch of 10 tonnes of fresh longans was transported to Japan at the beginning of this year, according to Nguyen Khac Huy, director of Hoang Phat Fruit Ltd. The firm will continue to export between 70-100 tonnes of the fruit by sea and by air to the market each month.

Longans are carried by air at a high freight rate, thus the retail price for Japanese buyers is around 320,000 VND/kg. Nonetheless, for foreign consumers living in Japan, Vietnamese longan is an appealing fruit that is still in short supply due to high demand.

Four fresh fruits from Vietnam – dragon fruit, mango, lychee, and longan – are permitted to be exported to Japan through the official channel, according to Dang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association.

Longan is a high-value product that can be sold at high rates in Japan, he says, adding that the fruit’s entry into Japan represents a significant potential for Vietnamese farmers.

According to the Plant Protection Department, it took Vietnam six years to negotiate and complete the necessary technical procedures for the export of fresh longans to Japan. At the moment, only around 2,000 hectares of longans have been issued a code of planting area that satisfies export standards to the Japanese market.

According to Ta Duc Minh, Vietnam Trade Counselor in Japan, it is tough to enter Japan but even more difficult to keep a foothold in the market because if only one batch of products fails to fulfill standards, Vietnamese exporters would lose customers’ trust, which is extremely difficult to reclaim.

@vietnamplus.vn