Vietnamese longans may be exported to Australia in 2019, according to a delegation of the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.

The delegation recently worked with the Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to examine the longan farming, processing and packaging process in northern Hung Yen Province and southern Ben Tre Province.

The Australian department will discuss plant guarantee measures with the Vietnamese officials in the near future.

The agriculture ministry said this is good news for Viet Nam’s fruit sector as Australia is a potential fruit export market. Earlier, the country also permitted the import of fresh lychees, mangoes and dragon fruits from the Southeast Asian nation.

Last year, fruit and vegetable exports set a record of US$3.5 billion, rising by 40 per cent from the previous year. Vietnamese fruits and vegetables are sold in 40 countries and territories around the world. — VNS