Imported longan fruit supplies into Canada look similar to last year’s volume.
“Ours comes from Vietnam,” says Helen Tsai of Monco Produce Inc. in Toronto, Canada. Longan is a tree fruit that’s similar to the lychee fruit and grown year-round. “In Canada, it’s very restricted in terms of what’s allowed to come in. Not all longan imports from Vietnam are allowed. Most suppliers can’t meet the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) requirements so only suppliers who can abide by the requirement are allowed to import longans.”
Last month, CFIA brought into effect the Safe Food for Canadians Act and Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, which are new requirements enforcing, amongst other things, the traceability of all foods domestically grown as well as imported and exported food.
Tsai notes that while other countries such as Thailand and China are also growing longan, she’s not aware of suppliers from those countries exporting it into Canada under the CFIA’s rules.
Good demand for longan
At the same time, there’s consistent demand for the fruit. “But the supply is limited in terms of what actually comes into the country,” she says. “Demand is steady on longan but it also depends on price as well as time of the year.” Tsai notes that the product is very popular within the ethnic community and while Monco could likely supply significantly more than it currently does, it stays limited as to who it sells to.
Pricing looks steady too on longan. “Because that price is steady, it’s been status quo. We’ve kept the pricing stable though now with Chinese New Year promotions over, it is expected to increase,” says Tsai.
While longan is popular within the Asian community, Tsai says she sees it reaching out to entice new consumers. “There are foodies and millennials out there who are always looking for something new and interesting. It has a high level of Vitamin C content so people who are more health conscious are more open to trying this item.” She adds that while it’s stocked at ethnic grocery stores, some larger grocery stores are interested in longan as well.
For more information:
Helen Tsai
Monco Produce Inc.
416 232-0955
helen@monco.ca