Debut for dried Vietnamese lychees

This was the first year that Vietnamese producer and wholesaler Hoang Exotic Fruit Export Corp. displayed its exotic fruit and vegetables at FRUIT LOGISTICA. Exhibits included pitahayas from Vietnam, grown by the GlobalGAP certified company. With an annual production of 300 tonnes on 30 hectares, dragon fruit is the company's leading export product. According to General Manager Hoang Tan Dinh, most of this exotic fruit is shipped to The Netherlands. Interestingly enough, Thailand, which has its own pitahaya plantations, imports the fruit from Vietnam. "Demand is huge and the quality of our fruit is clearly better", said Dinh. The medium-sized company exports pomelos, rambutans, ginger, okra pods and yams, all of which are grown on an additional 70 hectares. As part of a FRUIT LOGISTICA debut, the Hoang Exotic Fruit Export Corp. presented lychees, dried in a special process, that have the consistency of dried plums and a rich and aromatic taste. "We're planning to market more products in Eastern Europe, Canada and Western Europe", said Dinh.