Unlike other famous Vietnamese products such as coffee or rice, dragon fruit is not well known among consumers all over 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 on the health effects of dragon fruit), price reduction and improved sweetness of dragon fruit.
The appeal of Vietnamese dragon fruit in China
Dragon fruit is sold in Vietnam at a “cheap” price. The selling price was registered in Binh Thuan, the capital of dragon fruit, in mid-May, with a selling price of only 500-1,000 VND/kg, slightly higher to 1,200-1,500 VND/kg is a wonderful 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, fight 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 production area, but Chinese products are not as sweet and cool as Vietnamese dragon fruit because our country’s dragon fruit is grown in tropical areas, with plenty of sun and suitable soil.
Therefore, Vietnamese dragon fruit is very popular in the Chinese market, especially dragon fruit with red flesh, 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 Chinese dragon fruit, but it is still popular among consumers in neighboring countries.
Vietnamese red-fleshed dragon fruit is sold in supermarkets in China for 40-50 yuan (about 160,000-180,000 VND/kg), while Chinese dragon fruit only costs about 95,000-105,000 VND/kg.
According to China Daily (China), the country’s demand for high-quality dragon fruit products is increasing, with Vietnam being the largest import source.
According to data from Guangxi TWT – a major fruit import company located in Nanning city (Guangxi Province, China) and specialized in importing Vietnamese dragon fruit, Vietnam’s dragon fruit export will be about USD 1.04 billion dragon fruit, up to 95.5 million in 2021 USD going to the Chinese market.
The financial page of the Chinese news site Sina states that in the near future, consumption demand and price of dragon fruit in the Chinese market could rise sharply due to limited import activity 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 is present in many major supermarket chains. Even dragon fruit is sold all year round in the land of kangaroos with a price in Vietnamese currency of about 80,000 VND/fruit.
Vietnamese dragon fruit not only meets the world’s strictest import requirements in terms of biosecurity, but also receives 5 stars from Australians on the online shopping site of Woolworths – the largest supermarket chain. of this country.
The world’s largest supplier of dragon fruit
According to dragonfruit.net.vn, Vietnam is currently the world’s largest supplier of dragonfruit, with the largest 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, Asian suppliers of dragon fruit are the main competitors due to geographic advantages. Among them, Colombia’s yellow dragon fruit is valued for its taste and appearance as it is the sweetest and most vibrant varieties of dragon fruit. This type of dragon fruit is also different from the Vietnamese dragon fruit, usually in November to February every year.
According to US consumer websites, Vietnam’s red dragon fruit is generally larger than other types of dragon fruit, looks nice and impressive, but is pale in color, not as crunchy and sweet as yellow dragon fruit. However, the red dragon fruit of Vietnam has always been judged to be 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 good luck due to the dragon fruit’s name, shape and color. bring.
In Asia, Vietnam is the largest supplier to the Chinese market, but in other markets such as ASEAN and Hong Kong (China), Vietnamese dragon fruit faces 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 on the counter to the left of Dai Phat Supermarket in Melbourne, Australia.
“Superfruit” is being hunted all over the world
The demand for dragon fruit in Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines has been increasing in recent years. Some other Asian countries like Japan, Korea… are also increasingly interested in dragon fruit because of the health benefits of this fruit.
In South Africa, dragon fruit is becoming a favorite fruit. Although the dragon fruit industry in South Africa is relatively young at the moment, the country also promotes 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 squeezed…
A live broadcast from the South African PMA channel, in conjunction with Beanstalk.Global, brought together a panel of experts to discuss the potential of South Africa’s dragon fruit industry.
Ms Laura Strever – an expert who attended the program – said: “This is a very strange fruit, very lively, interesting and attractive. In addition, it is also very ‘flexible’. You can eat it. Fresh, pressed and used in more complex recipes than other products… These qualities make dragon fruit marketable on the market and consumers have started adding it to their shopping cart.”
Meanwhile, other experts who attended the program said dragon fruit could become one of the most popular fruits worldwide if there is proper direction and consumer orientation towards health benefits. health of this “super fruit”.
Source: CafeF
