Vietnam earned more than $14 million from exporting longans last year, a 2.5-fold increase year-on-year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

The fruit secured the second largest growth among Vietnam's exported fruits in 2023, after durian.

Its key import markets were China, Australia, Thailand, and Japan.

The Vietnam Association of Fruit and Vegetable said China is the largest importer of Vietnamese longans and there is huge demand in the market.

Longans are among the top 5 fruit trees with the largest growing area in Vietnam, of more than 80,000 ha, and with average output of about 600,000 tons annually.