Exports of Australian table grapes to Vietnam rose 98%
Australia’s exports of table grapes to Vietnam reached record levels in 2021-2022, thanks to improved terms of trade in recent years and continued export diversification.
Vietnam is Australia’s top four table grape export market in 2021-2022, according to an Australian government report.
Table grape exports to Vietnam increased 98% to A$63 million between July 2021 and April 2022 compared to the same period in 2020-21.
And Vietnam’s share of Australia’s table grape exports rose by 6-15% over the same period.
One possible explanation for these increases is that the 2021–22 season marks the first full season in which exporters had access to the Merrifield (Victoria) irradiation facility for treatment.
In previous seasons, table grapes had to be shipped to Brisbane for processing before being exported to Vietnam. But the facility allows table grapes grown in south-eastern Australia, including the Sunraysia region, to be exported directly from Victoria to Vietnam more quickly.
With Vietnam’s economy enjoying positive GDP growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese consumers are also increasing their demand for table grapes. According to incomplete statistics, Vietnam’s middle class is increasingly demanding high-quality fresh food and differentiated fresh food.
It is precisely because of such a large demand that more than 90% of Australia’s table grapes are exported from South Australia. The short supply chain makes it more convenient to export to Vietnam, and it has advantages in cost, quality and shelf life.
In addition, other fruits also have a good market in Vietnam. For example, Vietnam is Australia’s second-largest export market for cherries. After the trade resumed, Australia’s first shipment of peaches and nectarines since 2014 arrived in Vietnam on March 19, 2022.
While seasonal conditions and Labour shortages pose challenges for growers in 2020-21 and 2021-22, production of Table grapes in Australia is expected to grow over the next few years as more grapes mature.
As a result, table grape exports to Vietnam are also expected to continue to grow after 2021-22.
