HCMC – Vietnam has shipped the first batch of its green-skin pomelos to Australia after more than three years of negotiations and technical preparations, paving the way for larger-scale exports.
The inaugural shipment, weighing 940.5 kilograms, was airfreighted and introduced at Sydney Markets on April 22 and 23 to ensure peak freshness. A follow-up commercial shipment of five tons, sourced from Dong Thap Province, is now being arranged.
The importer, 4 Ways Fresh, said it plans to switch to sea freight after the initial phase, targeting stable shipments of around 20 tons per week.
Vietnamese pomelos are expected to capitalize on a market window from May to January, when Australia’s domestic pomelo season has ended and imports, mainly from the United States, dominate supply. With shorter shipping times and a distinct sweet flavor profile, Vietnam’s green-skin pomelos are seen as highly competitive in the Australian market.
To meet Australia’s stringent biosecurity requirements, the entire production chain, from cultivation to irradiation, has been standardized. Field quarantine and disease treatment processes were carried out with technical support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
