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Category: Food

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Food and Food & Beverage news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Bacardi launches ready-to-drink Mojito cocktail

    Bacardi launches ready-to-drink Mojito cocktail

    Bacardi has launched a new RTD, Bacardi Mojito, which comes in a 250ml can with an ABV of 4.8 percent and 114 calories per serve.

    The RTD is made using Bacardi Carta Blanca Superior White Rum along with all-natural flavors and real ingredients and the calories are kept down thanks to the use of natural cane sugar.

    Bacardi-Martini Australia Brand Ambassador, Loy Catada, said he was excited to see Bacardi Mojito launch into the Australian market. “With the original Bacardu Mojito having a rich history and rise in popularity since the 1930s, we’re proud to continue to meet our customers’ desires and launch the ready-to-drink Bacardi Mojito in time for Summer here in Australia.”

    “Bacardi has been synonymous with classic Caribbean cocktails since 1862, and our latest launch gives consumers the ease of a high-quality cocktail made with the natural flavors and real ingredients of mint, lime, and the world’s most awarded rum in a convenient format.”

    With the spirit-based RTD market surging 132 percent in the last year and Mojito continuously ranking highly as one of Australia’s favorite cocktails in Google search queries, the stage is set for a big Bacardi Mojito summer.

    Bacardi is available now for independent retailers and the major chains at $24.99 RRP per pack of four.

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  • PepsiCo to reduce plastic use, launch plant-based snacks in green push

    PepsiCo to reduce plastic use, launch plant-based snacks in green push

    PepsiCo, a leading food and beverage giant, has announced plans to cut back on the use of virgin plastic and expand its SodaStream carbonated-water business to more markets in response to increasing calls to combat climate change.

    According to the company, as part of a new initiative called “pep+”, the food and beverage giant aims to reduce virgin plastic use per serving by half across all brands by 2030 and use 50% recycled content in all its plastic packaging.

    PepsiCo’s ambitious plastics plan also includes scaling its SodaStream business globally, Laguarta told Reuters in an interview. SodaStream, acquired by PepsiCo in 2018, makes machines and refillable cylinders that let users make their own soda or carbonated water drinks at home.

    The brand, currently in 40 countries, will bring new flavours into 23 more markets and introduce its new SodaStream Professional platform aimed at businesses in 10 additional markets by 2022.

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  • Coca-Cola says new ‘No Sugar’ has the same flavour as Classic Coke

    Coca-Cola says new ‘No Sugar’ has the same flavour as Classic Coke

    In much the same way plant-based meat companies are tweaking their offerings to make them taste more like the real thing, beverage giant Coca-Cola is doing the same thing with its no-sugar cola.

    Coca-Cola has a vested interest in creating a no-sugar variety that mirrors its sugar-laden offering as a way to keep people associated with the brand. Consumers are drinking less soda as part of a broader effort to cut their sugar intake, and increasingly no sugar offerings are a more popular option.

    If consumers decide they want to drink less soda with sugar, and a no-sugar offering has the same flavor as the original, they are more likely to turn to their preferred brand. Sales of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar have been a bright spot for Coke, and the company no doubt is hoping the new flavor profile will attract more customers to the product. The new version is already on shelves across Europe and Latin America, and will roll out globally during 2021.

    “In order to continue to drive growth of our diets and lights category, we must keep challenging ourselves to innovate and differentiate just as other iconic brands have done,” Natalia Suarez, senior brand manager for Coca-Cola’s North America operating unit, said in a statement. “The consumer landscape is always changing, which means we must evolve to stay ahead.”

    No-calorie Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame K. Finding a sweetener that can replace sugar’s texture and taste has been difficult for companies. Some companies have used aspartame, but many consumers stopped drinking diet soda because of concerns over the health impact of the artificial ingredient.

    Coca-Cola seems to have found the right ingredient mix for its no-sugar products. According to Euromonitor International data cited by The Wall Street Journal, Diet Coke had 35% of sales in the $22 billion global diet category in 2019 and Coke Zero Sugar had 22%.

    Coca-Cola also is making a big change in the packaging it uses for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. The new can has the same design as its its popular Coke soda, but uses different colors and the words “zero sugar” to indicate the absence of the sweetener. The new, simpler packaging is smart in that it keeps the brand, which is trying to emulate regular Coke, with the same design scheme as the original — but gives it just a bit of its own identify to stand out on store shelves.

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  • Ferrero introduces recyclable box for Ferrero Rocher range

    Ferrero introduces recyclable box for Ferrero Rocher range

    Italian brand Ferrero has moved another step towards sustainability with the launch of its new eco-designed box for the Ferrero Rocher range.

    After trialing 29 different plastics and working with leading materials expert Milliken, the new packaging is sourced from polypropylene (PP), which is easy to recycle and can help reduce the use of plastic as well as its impact on the climate.

    Packaging for a box of 16 pieces will have 40-per-cent less plastic content, while the 30-piece box contains 38 percent less. Both are said to have at least 30 percent lower carbon footprint, reaching 70 percent less when recycled, compared to the previous box.

    “The Ferrero Rocher eco-designed box is a clear example of our dedication to enhancing packaging circularity,” said Fabio Mora, global packaging director of The Ferrero Group. “We worked in close partnership with Milliken which brought its innovative and critical thinking to help reduce the environmental impact through the use of a new polypropylene material for the Ferrero Rocher box.”

    According to the company, Ferrero Rocher can save approximately 2000 tonnes of plastics in the first year from the introduction this month. Once the innovation extends across the whole range of Ferrero Rocher, the full impact of the extension can reduce up to approximately 10,000 tons less plastic used.

    The new eco-designed box is part of Ferrero’s commitment to making 100 percent of its packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

  • Vietnam goes past Thailand, becomes Israel’s biggest tuna supplier

    Vietnam goes past Thailand, becomes Israel’s biggest tuna supplier

    Vietnam surpassed Thailand in the first half of this year to become the biggest exporter of tuna to Israel.

    It accounted for 31 percent of Israel’s imports while that country became Vietnam’s third largest market behind the U.S. and Italy.

    Israel bought less tuna from most countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic, but increased its imports from Vietnam, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said.

    Latest data from VASEP shows that Vietnam’s exports to Israel jumped by 34 percent during the year until Aug. 15 to nearly $25 million.

    Eight companies ship tuna fish to Israel, but have all complained about Covid-related restrictions hurting their production in recent months.

    VASEP has repeatedly been petitioning the government to quickly vaccinate workers in the fisheries sector to ensure the supply chain is not disrupted.

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  • Fresh soup brand DariKay rebrands as Dari’s

    Fresh soup brand DariKay rebrands as Dari’s

    Australia’s leading freshly made soup brand DariKay is changing its name to DARI’S, with a brand-new look including a new logo, colours, and new ‘Feel at Home’ tagline. 

    The rebranded DARI’S Soups will start to appear in Woolworth’s chillers in September, followed by Coles and independent retailers from November, phasing out the old DariKay packaging through a gradual roll-out. 

    The rebrand from DariKay to DARI’S celebrates the real people behind the soups – Dari and Yehiel Kaplan and family. The couple started their Dari’s Kitchen food business in their home kitchen in 2004, beginning with Pilpel dips, followed by DariKay fresh, small-batch soups in 2007, which has grown to become Australia’s top chilled soup brand.

    All soup recipes are developed, tried, and tested by Yehiel, using his skills as a chef to create a range of flavors to suit different taste preferences and dietary needs. The soups are stocked by major supermarkets and independent retailers across Australia.

    Dari Kaplan, co-founder, says: “Our soup rebrand to DARI’S is a big change but a very exciting one. We felt that DARI’S better connects us to our consumers, it lets people know that a real family is making these soups, to our recipes, just like we do at home.

    “It’s the same DariKay soup that people know and love – the flavors, size, and ingredients are exactly the same – but with a new look and a new name, that reflects who we are.”

    A major part of the rebrand is the launch of a new website, www.darissoups.com.au, which has photographs from the Kaplan family albums and tells the story of how Dari and Yehiel’s business began

    Dari adds: “People can now get a glimpse into our family and how we started all those years ago, with our children as our taste testers, and our little kitchen blender. We’re very proud of how we started because that is how we got here. We hope that when people share a DARI’S soup, they feel the love and care of our family, because that’s what we’re all about, and that will never change.”

    The flavors of the new rebranded DARI’S Soups will remain the same as the current DariKay soup line-up. There are 13 fresh soups in the range including vegetarian, poultry, meat, and seafood varieties, with gluten-free, dairy-free, and preservative-free options.

    The soups are made in small batches at the family’s kitchen HQ in Marrickville, New South Wales, using carefully selected quality ingredients such as free-range chicken and aged beef brisket. Flavors in the range include Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Corn, Beef & Barley, Mushroom, Lentil, and Spicy Prawn.

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  • Vinamilk ramps up R&D to win big globally

    Vinamilk ramps up R&D to win big globally

    The Vietnam Dairy Products JSC is stepping up R&D to create innovative products enriched with local flavors to satisfy the diverse range of global tastes.

    With its strategic investment in product development, international expansion, and commitment to sustainability, Vinamilk has become the only Vietnamese dairy company in the top 50 global dairy producers. This year it is ranked 36th.

    Vinamilk’s R&D efforts have developed customized products tailored to the Asian, African, and Middle Eastern markets despite the challenges of limited research data in some of these regions.

    Starting with only one infant cereal SKU, the company has since successfully developed and established 66 SKUs in multiple markets. One of Vinamilk’s successful innovative products is the Ridielac infant cereal with banana and date flavors.

    Launched in the Middle East five years ago, this infant cereal with a distinctive local flavor has been well received, and it underpinned the subsequent penetration into North Africa.

    The dairy giant has also fortified its African products with vitamin A and minerals to help tackle the challenge of vitamin A deficiency. This problem threatens 42.4 percent of sub-Saharan African children with an increased risk of mortality.

    In the Middle East, which accounts for 80 percent of Vinamilk’s export revenues, the company’s localized Ridielac is a favorite among locals, especially for the variety in flavors that enables people to switch their babies’ daily diet regularly.

    In Asia, Vinamilk has introduced sweetened condensed coconut milk in Japan to address the demand for plant-based milk amid local consumers’ dairy allergies.

    “Our long-term relationship with Vinamilk was built upon accurate and flexible export services and high-quality products meeting all Japanese standards,” Jun Hamada, Vinamilk’s Japanese partner, said.

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  • Kellogg’s introduces mixed grain bar

    Kellogg’s introduces mixed grain bar

    Kellogg’s retailers are set for a boost this summer as Kellogg’s announces the launch of three new products. This July, Kellogg’s is introducing Kellogg’s Multi-grain Corn Flakes to the cereal category, a new product from its oldest brand.

    Kellogg’s retailers are set for a boost this summer as Kellogg’s announces the launch of three new products. This July, Kellogg’s is introducing Kellogg’s Multi-grain Corn Flakes to the cereal category, a new product from its oldest brand. Kellogg’s Multi-grain Corn Flakes contains the goodness of three grains; each golden flake is a combination of corn, wholegrain rice and wheat. Kellogg’s consumer research shows that Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are still a firm favorite.

    This new innovation offers fans of the Original the great taste of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes but with the added extra of the goodness of multi-grain.Kellogg’s Corn Flakes fits into the ‘everyday favourites’ sector of the cereal market which is currently worth £269m. Kellogg’s hopes that innovation from its best-loved cereal will enable retailers to maximise on this growing sector.

    Support will begin with TV advertising and promotional pricing beginning in August.

    UK Sales Director, Kevin Brownsey, comments, ”Kellogg’s Multi-grain Corn Flakes are the perfect product for retailers to make the most of the growing consumer interest in health. Consumers trust the Original and know it’s a good breakfast choice – the addition of multi-grain helps to strengthen its health credentials”.

    The snacks category will also be expanded with Nutri-Grain Chocolate Oat-Baked Bar and Special K Mini-Breaks.

    Kellogg’s is building upon the incredible success of Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Oat Baked Bars with a new variant – Nutri-Grain Chocolate Oat Baked Bars. Launched last year, Nutri-Grain Oat Baked Bars proved a welcome addition to the portfolio and was the number one Kellogg’s snack innovation for 2006.

    The new variant has the same substantial flapjack texture of the original but the added chocolate also satisfies consumers’ sweet cravings.

    Research shows that new product development (NPD) is increasingly important to the total cereal bars category and is now worth over 10% of the total value. Nutri-Grain NPD has also consistently driven the brand growth.

    The entire Nutri-Grain Oat Baked Bars range will be supported with TV advertising in September and the new chocolate variant will be advertised on back of packs. In July, money-off vouchers will hit 2,000,000 households.

    Kellogg’s is also widening its snack offerings with a new bagged snack – new Special K Mini Breaks. At just 99 calories a bag, these new biscuity bites of baked golden oats, wheat, and rice are a controlled calorie solution for consumers with an attack of ‘the nibbles’. The bagged format is designed to fit a number of snacking needs such as snacking at the desk, sharing, and ‘boredom snacking’.

    Available in two variants – Original (multi-packs and singles) and Chocolate (multi-packs) – Special K Mini Breaks will help retailers to achieve incremental growth on the Special K snacking brand. Previous snack innovations for this brand have proved very successful, for example, Special K Chocolate Chip Bar was launched in 2005 and is now worth over £5m.

    Special K Mini Breaks will begin with a four-week burst of TV advertising in September and the product will appear on the back of packs of existing Special K snacks and cereal.

    UK Sales Director, Kevin Brownsey, comments,” With such a diverse number of snacking occasions, the snacks sector is an area of significant opportunities for retailers. The new Nutri-Grain Bar and Special K Mini Breaks help retailers to provide a product to fit these emerging occasions and fill as many consumer snacking needs as possible. The popularity of bagged snacks is growing and Special K Mini Breaks are just the first in a number of bagged snacks innovations planned by Kellogg’s over the next two years.”

  • Vietnam coffee exports to UK drops

    Vietnam coffee exports to UK drops

    Vietnam’s coffee exports to the U.K. have declined in H1 after its products failed to meet quality requirements and consumer preferences. The fourth wave of Covid-19 that hit the country also affected export activities.

    Coffee exports to Britain fell by 48.4 percent in volume terms and 49.3 percent in value to 16,400 tons and $29 million. Vietnam’s share of that coffee market decreased from 27.32 percent to 16.35 percent.

    The U.K.’s coffee imports from most of its suppliers increased during the period, except from Vietnam and Honduras. Vietnam’s exports to the country are in the form of raw or semi-processed coffee, while the British mainly consume instant coffee.

    Experts said the Vietnamese coffee industry should strive to meet its increasingly stringent requirements and British consumers’ tastes to boost exports.

    Vietnam is the second-biggest coffee producer globally behind Brazil. Last year, its exports fell marginally and were worth $2.74 billion.

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  • McDonald’s hit with breach of advertising rules over Instagram mix-up

    McDonald’s hit with breach of advertising rules over Instagram mix-up

    Ad Standards has found that McDonald’s Australia breached rules for distinguishable advertising, as set out in the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics, Section 2.7.

    The breach occurred in an Instagram post by @southaussiewithcosi, which featured a man, woman and two children in matching McDonald’s pyjamas and holding McDelivery bags. Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello, who fronts the Instagram account, is also a co-host of SAFM’s breakfast show on the Hit Network in Adelaide.

    The post, which has since been deleted, had the following caption: “Verified @maccas_sa have been serving South Australians for 50 years. How cool is that? Tonight we are celebrating their birthday with delivery and my girls are wearing the @peteralexanderofficial limited edition maccas PJ’s”.

    In one of the complaints submitted to Ad Standards’ community panel, it was noted that it was unclear whether it was a sponsored post or not as it did not contain the hashtags #ad or #sponsored.

    In McDonald’s initial response, the company argued that the code was not applicable in this case as the products provided were gifts, and there was no formal agreement with @southaussiewithcosi to post on social media.

    In its response, McDonald’s said: “McDonald’s has a partnership with SAFM, which is a commercial radio station that broadcasts to Adelaide. McDonald’s gifted the products as a gesture of goodwill and to support SAFM. The talent in question is part of the breakfast radio crew with SAFM and has his own personal brand/TV show called ‘South Aussie with Cosi’. McDonald’s does not have any commercial relationship with “South Aussie with Cosi” or the talent directly. As such the content posted on the account ‘South Aussie with Cosi’ is entirely outside of the McDonald’s reasonable control.”

    McDonald’s continued: “Unlike the previous cases that the panel has determined, in the current case it is not reasonable to assume that the motivation to provide free products is that they will post about the products or otherwise draw the attention of their followers to the brand given that McDonald’s does not have any affiliation with ‘South Aussie with Cosi’”.

    McDonald’s also highlighted that if the post was found to be advertising, it was distinguishable as another brand is mentioned, the caption refers to McDonald’s delivery service and 50th-anniversary celebrations, and both the products and label on the products are clearly visible.

    A majority of the panel found the post did meet the definition of advertising as while the advertiser did not have direct editorial control over the post, “the influencer was motivated to publish positive content about his employer’s sponsor, and in the context of the relationship would not, for example, have posted similarly about a competitor to the employer’s sponsor”.

    The panel further found that tagging the brand in the caption was not sufficient to distinguish the post as advertising, as per its Practice Note for the Code. The post needed to be clear, obvious, and upfront as sponsored content.

    McDonald’s responded to the finding: “McDonald’s takes its responsibility as an advertiser seriously. We are disappointed with the outcome of the complaint, however, we respect the final decision from the panel. We have communicated with the influencer, and the influencer has agreed to remove the post.”

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  • De’Longhi links coffee lovers and roasters in virtual Coffee Lounge

    De’Longhi links coffee lovers and roasters in virtual Coffee Lounge

    Small appliance brand De’Longhi Australia has launched an online community for coffee lovers including a marketplace linking consumers with artisan coffee roasters around the nation.

    The Coffee Lounge has been created as a space that “brings together the world of beans, milk and machines,” aiming to help educate and support consumers who want to learn more about coffee and enjoy the culture behind the cup.

    “Whether you’re just starting your coffee journey or a more experienced at-home barista looking to refine your skills, this new website is designed to provide you with all the tools and resources you need to create the perfect coffee,” explains George O’Neil, marketing director at De’Longhi.

    “While lockdowns around the country limit how far we can travel at the moment, we want to be able to support roasters across the country with the launch of this new website. Our aim is to support the coffee industry and become the first destination that coffee lovers head to if they wish to learn more and discover the newest, widest variety of artisan blends.”

    De’Longhi expects coffee lovers from all over the world to participate.

    In the Coffee Lounge’s marketplace, consumers can browse and learn about different types of coffee beans so they can create barista-quality coffee at home. It launches with 28 coffee packs from seven local roasters including Industry Beans, Criteria Coffee and Seven Miles Coffee Roasters.

    In a gamified process, consumers can answer a one-minute quiz that helps create a personalised recommendation for visitors of the roast most likely to suit their taste.

    Industry news on trends and innovations, recipes, and tips and tricks from coffee experts are also included in the lounge.

    “The De’Longhi Coffee Lounge aims to bring the world of coffee machines and beans together for all coffee lovers to enjoy,” says O’Neil.

  • Woolies sells stake in Marley Spoon

    Woolies sells stake in Marley Spoon

    “Marley Spoon experienced strong growth over the term of W23‘s investment and has matured into an established listed company, and no longer fits squarely within the investment criteria of W23,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

    “Woolworths Group and Marley Spoon remain committed to the continuing five-year strategic growth alliance that covers marketing support and customer origination programs as well as co-operation on logistics and supply chain operations.”

    Earlier this year, Marley Spoon chief executive Rolf Weber said the business’ growth had been boosted by the impact of the pandemic – despite supply chain pressures from drought, bushfires, floods, food shortages, and the global health crisis.

    Weber attributed the business’ impressive retention rates in part to the continued innovation of his team, including the launch of ready-to-heat meals earlier in 2020.

    “Our numbers are very strong and customer retention is extremely high, even as the impact of the pandemic has begun to decrease across Australia,” says Weber. “Ready-to-heat meals had been in product development prior to the pandemic, however, the launch was expedited by lockdowns and the demand from the influx of news customers. With many Australians returning to the office in recent months, the number of ready-to-heat meals sold continues to impress and opens future opportunities and streams to reach new customers.”

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  • Johnnie Walker toasts 200 with global experience centre in Edinburgh

    Johnnie Walker toasts 200 with global experience centre in Edinburgh

    “The story of the world’s best-selling whisky has been brought to life with flair and imagination and we have built a team which includes some of the most talented individuals in their fields,” said Barbara Smith, MD of Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

    The building serves more than 800 flavor combinations in innovative dispensation systems. Visitors can select their favorite whisky and have bottles filled directly from casks and engraved. The experiential space also houses two rooftop bars and a terrace overlooking the Edinburgh skyline.

    According to the company, it took four and a half years in the making to bring Johnnie Walker Princes Street into life. The project is part of Diageo’s US$256 million investment, the largest single investment program of its kind ever seen in Scotch whisky tourism.

    “Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a landmark investment in Scotch whisky and into Scotland and it sets a new standard for immersive visitor attractions,” said Ivan Menezes, CEO at Diageo.

    “It celebrates Scotland’s remarkable heritage, our incredible skilled whisky-makers, and looks to the future by engaging new generations of consumers from around the world in the magic of Scotch whisky.”

    The Diageo investment includes the transformation of distillery visitor experiences around Scotland, including Glenkinchie, Clynelish, Cardhu and Caol Ila – the Lowland, Highland, Speyside and Islay homes of Johnnie Walker, linked to Johnnie Walker Princes Street.

  • Vietnamese Seafood export falls in August

    Vietnamese Seafood export falls in August

    Vietnam’s seafood export turnovers stood at $520 million in August, down 36 percent against the same month last year due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

    Last month, only 30-40 percent of seafood enterprises in the south ensured the stay-at-work mode, mobilizing 40-40 percent of employees to work, eat and sleep at factories, so their production capacity dropped 50-60 percent, said the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Processors (VASEP).

    Meanwhile, material supply chains were broken or met with difficulty in transport. Seafood firms saw higher input costs and freight ones, and some exporters failed to deliver goods on time, losing clients to their foreign rivals.

    However, seafood export turnovers in the first eight months of this year rose 6 percent on-year to $5.5 billion.

    The VASEP forecast seafood export turnovers will decrease at least 20 percent on-year to $660 million in September, because the pandemic is still progressing complexly in the South, while vaccination among workers in industrial parks and export processing zones is limited.

    Some southern provinces, including Soc Trang, Cau Mau, Bac Lieu and Kien Giang, which are major prawn producers and exporters, have contained the pandemic fairly well, so they are expected to export more prawns and shrimps in the remaining months of this year.

    Major catfish producing and exporting provinces are still being hit hard by the pandemic, with over half of factories having to close down, so tra fish export is unlikely to bounce back in September.

    HCMC and localities in the Mekong Delta, home to many squid, octopus, tuna processing plants, are still experiencing complex Covid-19 situations, so their seafood production and export are predicted to continue to be sluggish this month.

    In the fourth quarter, when most of seafood processing workers will have been vaccinated against Covid-19, seafood export can recover slightly, reaching turnovers of $8.5-8.6 billion, the VASEP forecast.

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  • Dragon fruit suffers pandemic troubles

    Dragon fruit suffers pandemic troubles

    The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for Vietnamese dragon fruits, in season now, to be exported.

    China, which accounts for some 80 percent of Vietnam’s total dragon fruit exports, has restricted the flow of goods at some border gates as part of its pandemic safety precautions.

    Meanwhile, for markets like the European Union, the U.S. and some Asian countries, the pandemic has caused an increase in logistics cost, and traders are facing fiercer competition from Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia.

    To expand markets for its dragon fruit, Vietnam is seeking ways to penetrate new markets, including Australia and Japan.

    Ta Duc Minh, the commercial counselor at the Vietnamese embassy in Japan, said Vietnamese farmers and firms should ensure synchronous cycles from cultivation, harvest and preservation to transport and export to maintain the freshness and taste of dragon fruits.

    They should also intensify the application of advanced post-harvest technology to ensure product quality, he said.

    Phu proposed the central province of Binh Thuan and the southern province of Long An, the two country’s largest dragon fruit producers, should speed up processing and export of dried fruit as well as other products made from dragon fruits like wine and syrup.

    Binh Thuan has 33,750 hectares of dragon fruits with an average annual output of 650,000 tons. It currently has 240 dragon fruit collecting, semi-processing and packaging facilities, and six processing facilities that make different products with the fruit.

    According to the Long An Department of Industry and Trade, the province produces some 330,000 tons of dragon fruit each year.