Peak season boosts Australian, New Zealand fruit sales in Ho Chi Minh City

Produce in Australia and New Zealand is entering its peak season, bringing abundant supplies and promotional pricing to supermarkets and fruit stores in the southern Vietnamese city.

At a Farmers Market store in Hanh Thong Ward, Australian oranges and mandarins are priced from VND99,000 (US$3.7) per kilogram.

Some retailers are offering Australian mandarins at promotional prices as low as VND89,000 ($3.4) per kilogram for bulk purchases.

Australia is currently entering the peak season for citrus fruits.

According to Citrus Australia, which represents the country's citrus industry, the mandarin season runs from April to October, with the bulk of supplies available during the winter months.

New Zealand fruit is also enjoying a strong seasonal presence.

Hanh, a marketing employee at a New Zealand fruit counter at a supermarket in Hanh Thong Ward, said the current period marks the supply season for New Zealand apples and kiwi fruit in Vietnam.

The supermarket's apple section carries about 10 varieties, with New Zealand apples accounting for roughly two-thirds of the selection.

New Zealand apples at supermarkets typically sell for around VND80,000-120,000 ($3-4.6) per kilogram.

At an Emart supermarket in An Nhon Ward, an employee recommending a sweet and crunchy apple to a customer said Dazzle apples, priced at about VND119,000 ($4.5) per kilogram, were a suitable choice.

At Annam Gourmet stores, premium varieties such as Envy apples are priced at around VND189,000-VND229,000 ($7.2-8,7) per kilogram.

Thanh, a resident of Hanh Thong Ward, said imported apples come in a wide range of varieties, and consumers cannot assume that all are equally sweet and crisp.

"My family likes apples that are sweet but still crunchy,” she shared.

“Some varieties cost more, but if they are mealy, they simply don't suit our taste.”

Kiwi fruit, one of New Zealand's signature fruits, are also being given dedicated displays at many supermarkets.

Green and gold kiwifruit are the two varieties most commonly available, with green kiwi fruit generally offering a more tart flavor.

At a Co.opmart supermarket on Cong Quynh Street, gold kiwi fruit are priced at VND98,000 ($3.7) for four, while green kiwi fruit sell for VND79,000 ($3) for four.

Both prices represent discounts of more than 10 percent from listed prices.

Vietnam becomes key market for Australian, New Zealand fruit

Australia regards Vietnam as an important market for its agriculture and food industries.

According to Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, two-way agricultural trade between the two countries reached AU$4.4 billion ($3.1 billion) in 2024.

The two countries have also continued expanding market access for a range of fruits.

Vietnam opened its doors to fresh Australian blueberries in October last year.

Besides, Vietnam is also becoming increasingly important to New Zealand's fruit industry.

In 2024, New Zealand exported $172 million worth of fruit to Vietnam, mainly apples, kiwi fruit, and cherries.

Vietnam is now New Zealand's second-largest apple buyer, after China.

With considerable room for growth in demand for premium fruit, Zespri, the largest marketer of kiwi fruit in the world, introduced the RubyRed™ red kiwi fruit to Vietnam for the first time this year, giving consumers another option in the premium fruit segment.

Vietnamese fruit finds growing opportunities in Southern Hemisphere

The flow of fruit is not one-way.

As Australian and New Zealand produce becomes increasingly common in Vietnam, Vietnamese agricultural products and fruit are also gaining greater access to the two Southern Hemisphere markets.

The opportunities are considered significant because consumers in Australia and New Zealand are seeking diversified supplies, while some locally grown fruits have relatively short seasons.

In New Zealand, Vietnamese fruits including dragon fruit, pomelo, and lime have entered the market and received positive responses.

Scott James, New Zealand's Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City and Trade Commissioner, previously told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that New Zealand also grows limes, but its growing season is very short.

Fresh limes imported from Vietnam help supplement domestic supply, he said.

In Australia, following the completion of market access procedures for Vietnamese pomelos in October 2025, Vietnam's first shipment of pomelos cleared Australian customs in April.

Pomelo became the sixth Vietnamese fresh fruit permitted to enter the Australian market, following dragon fruit, lychee, longan, mango, and passion fruit.

These developments show that the opportunities extend beyond adding new products to trade lists.

They also lie in leveraging complementary growing seasons, diversifying supply and meeting demand for tropical fruit in the two developed Southern Hemisphere markets.