Taste the Wonders of Australia in Vietnam

Some of Australia’s finest fruit, vegetables and nuts will be on show at the Taste the Wonders of Australia Gala Dinner in Ho Chi Minh City next week, served up alongside some of the country’s premium dairy products, meat, seafood and wine.

The event is part of Hort Innovation and the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group’s continued push to increase export opportunities for Australian farmers.

The gala dinner in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday, 20 September follows Austrade’s Roadshow held earlier in the day, providing Australian businesses the opportunity to explore market opportunities to increase trade to Vietnam.

Vietnam is one of the rising stars for Australian horticulture exports. In 2022-23, horticultural exports to Vietnam grew by $26.5 million, up 15.8 per cent on the previous year, to $193.9 million. It elevated Vietnam from third to second largest export market for Australia’s horticulture producers. 

The gala dinner will see about 200 food industry leaders, importers, distributors and government representatives, along with Australian exporters, enjoy a menu brimming with the Wonders of Australia’s fresh produce.

The dinner provides Vietnamese customers the chance to experience Australia’s premium fruit, vegetables and nuts, as well as seafood, wine, dairy products and meat. It will give buyers a better understanding of Australia’s capability to provide the Vietnamese domestic market with greater diversity, extended windows of seasonal availability and enhanced consumer choices.

Hort Innovation’s involvement in the Taste the Wonders of Australia gala dinner is part of its ongoing Team Australia approach to increasing export opportunities for horticulture farmers and producers, joining forces with Meat & Livestock Australia, Wine Australia, Seafood Industry Australia and Dairy Australia to showcase the true breadth and quality of Australian produce.

The partnership leverages the five individual organisations’ strengths, expertise and connections in engaging with overseas markets.

Vietnam is the third high-potential export market targeted by the Australian Food and Wine Collaboration Group, after successful market promotions in South Korea and Thailand, with Indonesia to follow in 2023-24. All four countries increased their agriculture imports last year by more than $1 billion each.

The partnership is support by an Agriculture Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) grant of $500,000. An additional $600,000 grant announced earlier this year will see the partnership continue, with target markets including Taiwan slated for the next two years.

The Australian Food and Wine Trade Collaboration was created to promote quality Australian food and beverages in key international markets. The members and funding partners are Dairy Australia, Hort Innovation, Meat & Livestock Australia, Wine Australia and Seafood Industry Australia. 

* Data reference: ABARES, September 2023:
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/trade/dashboard