Unlike other famous Vietnamese products such as coffee or rice, dragon fruit is not well known to consumers around the world (outside the Asian community).
However, reviews show that demand for dragon fruit is growing worldwide, especially in new markets outside of Asia. This demand is highly dependent on product marketing (especially information about the health effects of dragon fruit), price reduction and improved sweetness of dragon fruit.
The attraction of Vietnamese dragon fruit in China
Dragon fruit is being sold at a “cheap as for” price in Vietnam. Recorded in mid-May in the dragon fruit capital of Binh Thuan, the selling price is only at 500 – 1,000 VND/kg, slightly higher to 1,200 – 1,500 VND/kg is a beautiful dragon fruit for export.
But in the world, this fruit is known as a “super fruit” because of the benefits it brings to human health, such as helping to fight chronic diseases, fighting cancer cells, Improve digestion, control diabetes…
This fruit is especially popular in the Chinese market of billions of people. 90% of China’s imported dragon fruit is Vietnamese dragon fruit, only a few are imported from Taiwan island (China) and some other countries.
China also has a large-scale dragon fruit growing area, but Chinese products are not as sweet and cool as Vietnamese dragon fruits because our country’s dragon fruits are grown in tropical areas, with plenty of sunshine and suitable soil.
Therefore, Vietnamese dragon fruit is very popular in the Chinese market, especially red flesh dragon fruit because the people of this country like the color red.
In Chinese supermarkets, the price of Vietnamese red flesh dragon fruit is much higher than that of Chinese dragon fruit, but it is still popular with consumers in neighboring countries.
Vietnamese red flesh dragon fruit is sold at supermarkets in China for 40-50 yuan (about 160,000 – 180,000 VND/kg) while Chinese dragon fruit is only about 95,000 – 105,000 VND/kg .
According to China Daily (China), the country’s demand for high-quality dragon fruit products is increasing, of which Vietnam is the largest source of imports.
According to data of Guangxi TWT – a large fruit import company based in Nanning city (Guangxi province, China) and specializing in importing Vietnamese dragon fruit, Vietnam’s dragon fruit export turnover in 2021 about 1.04 billion USD dragon fruit, up to 925.5 million USD goes to the Chinese market.
The financial page of China’s Sina news site said that in the near future, the consumption demand and price of dragon fruit in this country’s market may increase sharply due to limited import activities due to the measures taken by the Chinese government. Strict prevention of Covid-19 epidemic in China.
Meanwhile, in Australia, the emerging market of Vietnamese dragon fruit, this fruit has been present in many large supermarket chains. Even dragon fruits are sold all year round in the land of kangaroos with the price in Vietnamese currency of about 80,000 VND/fruit.
Vietnamese dragon fruit not only meets the strictest import conditions in the world in terms of biosecurity, but is also rated 5 stars by Australians on the online shopping site of Woolworths – the largest supermarket chain. of this country.
The world’s largest dragon fruit supplier
According to dragonfruit.net.vn, Vietnam is currently the world’s largest supplier of dragon fruits, accounting for the highest market share in Asia, Europe and sometimes even the US. Meanwhile, Thailand and Israel are the second and third largest suppliers in the European market.
In the US, Mexico and Central – South American countries are the biggest competitors of Asian dragon fruit suppliers due to geographical advantages. Among them, Colombia’s yellow dragon fruit is prized for its taste and appearance, as they are the sweetest and most vibrant of the dragon fruit varieties. This type of dragon fruit is also different from the Vietnamese dragon fruit, usually in November to February every year.
According to American consumer websites, Vietnam’s red dragon fruit is generally larger than other types of dragon fruit, has a beautiful and impressive appearance, but is pale in color, not as crunchy and sweet as yellow dragon fruit. However, Vietnam’s red dragon fruit has always been rated as superior to other types of red dragon fruit.
Asia is by far the largest and easiest dragon fruit market in Vietnam, especially among the Chinese community, due to the belief in luck due to the name, shape and color of the dragon fruit. bring.
In Asia, Vietnam is the leading supplier to the mainland China market, but in other markets such as ASEAN and Hong Kong (China), Vietnamese dragon fruit is facing formidable competitors from the Chinese market. countries and regions such as Taiwan (China), Thailand and Malaysia.
Vietnamese dragon fruit (wrapped in red on the right) is sold at a higher price than Australian dragon fruit in the counter on the left at Dai Phat Supermarket in Melbourne (Australia).
“Super fruit” is hunted in the world
Demand for dragon fruit in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines has been increasing in recent years. Some other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea … are also increasingly interested in dragon fruit due to the health benefits of this fruit.
In South Africa, dragon fruit is becoming a favorite fruit. Currently, although the dragon fruit industry in South Africa is relatively young, the country is also promoting the cultivation of this tree.
Pioneers in the dragon fruit industry in South Africa recently established the South African Dragon Fruit Association.
Dragon fruit can be eaten fresh or juiced…
A live broadcast of the South African PMA channel, in partnership with Beanstalk.Global, brought together a panel of experts to discuss the potential of the dragon fruit industry in South Africa.
Ms. Laura Strever – an expert who attended the program – said: “This is a very strange fruit, very vibrant, interesting and attractive. Moreover, it is also very ‘flexible’. You can eat it. Fresh, juiced and used in more complex recipes than other products… These characteristics make dragon fruit salable in the market and consumers have started to add it. their shopping cart.”
Meanwhile, other experts attending the program said that dragon fruit can become one of the most popular fruits worldwide if there is an appropriate direction and consumer orientation on health benefits. health of this “super fruit”.
Source: CafeF
Source: Vietnam Insider