Kaimana lychees imported from Australia are selling quickly in Vietnam, with retail prices at around VND800,000 per kilogram, equal to about US$30.35, during a period when local lychee varieties are out of season.
Phuong, a fruit shop owner in HCMC's Nha Be Commune, said she recently imported 30 boxes of the fruit. Each box weighs five kilograms and sells for VND4 million (US$151.75). According to her, current prices are about 20 percent lower than a year earlier due to higher supply, but remain around seven times higher than domestic premium varieties such as Luc Ngan lychees from Bac Giang Province. She noted that Kaimana lychees in Australia are considered premium and have dark red skin, thick and crisp flesh, a small seed, and a sweet flavor. The fruit is harvested with stems attached and transported by air to maintain freshness.
Lan Anh, who sells fruit in Binh Thanh Ward, reported that her store has sold about 100 boxes, also five kilograms each, since mid-November. She plans further imports before supply tightens in January. She explained that sellers tend to import only a few dozen boxes at a time due to the short shelf life of the fruit.
In Australia, premium lychee varieties are typically sold in five-kilogram boxes at about US$80 each. Kaimana is one of roughly 40 lychee varieties grown in the country and is the most common type exported to Vietnam. Australian lychees are widely purchased in Vietnam because they enter the market several months after domestic supply ends, following the main harvest window from April through July.
Source: VNExpress
