Vietnamese macadamia attracted customers in Japan

Macadamia nuts exported to Japan had selling prices in supermarkets for around 700,000 VND per kilogram. Therefore, Japanese partners were ready to place bulk orders for import Vietnamese macadamia in the coming years.

This was great news for Vietnamese macadamia growers at the beginning of 2023. Earlier, in November 2022, an export company in Dak Lak province exported a container of six tons of macadamia. The Japanese importer was Olty Co., which would distribute the product exclusively in Japanese markets.

On December 5, 2022, Vietnamese macadamia nuts officially hit supermarket shelves in Japan. According to Olty Co., Vietnam’s macadamia nuts received positive feedback from customers after entering into Japanese supermarkets. The selling prices reached around 700,000 VND per kilogram and it became a popular purchase among consumers.

“Following the initial 6-ton order, Japanese supermarkets have placed new orders. Also, they have confirmed that they would increase Vietnam’s macadamia imports in the coming years. With such positive feedback from the first shipment, we are confident that Vietnamese macadamia nuts will establish a solid foothold in the Japanese market,” a representative of an export company of Vietnam’s macadamia shared.

According to Mr. Otsuka Tokuro, Director of Olty Co., macadamia nuts in Japan were usually shelled and seasoned. One day, he felt surprised to receive a gift box of in-shell macadamia nuts from Vietnam from a colleague.

“It was the first time I had seen macadamia nuts with their shells. When I tasted, it made me impressed by their crunchiness, fragrance, and rich flavor,” Mr. Tokuro said. That experience led him to the decision to import Vietnamese macadamia nuts into Japan.

According to experts, macadamia nuts were in high demand in markets such as Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. Therefore, market access was not a major concern. Especially notable was that Vietnamese macadamia nuts were processed by hand, so it preserved the original and natural flavor. As a result, it made hard for other competitors in other countries to match.

Thee successful sales of Vietnamese macadamia nuts in Japan were positive signals for the macadamia industry in Vietnam. In December 2022, a Vietnamese company brought a 20 kg sample of macadamia nuts to an agricultural exhibition. They expected to sell out within four days, but all sales finished out within just half a day.

In 2022, 29 provinces across the country were growing macadamia, with a total area of over 20,000 hectares. In the Northwest region, the average yield for trees older than 10 years reached 3 tons of fresh nuts per hectare for monoculture farming. Its yield reached about 2.5 tons per hectare when intercropped with other crops. In the Central Highlands, yields for trees over 10 years old reached 4 tons/ha for monoculture and 2.8 tons/ha for intercropped farming.

There were over 60 macadamia processing facilities nationwide. Most of them used simple machinery, such as moisture-reduction dryers, nut dryers, cold storage units, and labeling machines. Vietnam’s macadamia products had two main types: dried nuts and lightly processed products.

In 2021, the total import-export turnover of macadamia products reached about $60 million. There were more than 3,000 tons of kernels and 390 tons of in-shell nuts exported. Vietnam’s macadamia kernels had their presence at 21 countries and territories. These markets include Germany, Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), the Netherlands, the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

Vietnamese source: https://thanhnien.vn/mac-ca-viet-dat-khach-tai-nhat-ban-gia-len-toi-700000-dong-kg-185230131085119205.htm