White or red dragon fruit from Vietnam: which fits your market?
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Short answer. Vietnam exports two dragon fruits. White flesh is the main sea-freight variety: 4 kg cartons at about 5 °C, keeping about 4 weeks. Red flesh is sweeter and more coloured, and travels mainly by air in 3.5 kg cartons. Both are available all year and are graded to Codex CXS 237-2003.
How do white and red flesh compare?
| White flesh | Red flesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Hylocereus undatus | H. polyrhizus, clones such as H14 and LD1 |
| Usual sizes | Codex codes D–G, 251–600 g | Codex codes C–F, 201–500 g |
| Brix at harvest | Typically 12–16 | Typically 13–17 |
| Main route | Sea reefer; air on request | Air; sea for nearby Asian markets |
| Cartons | 4 kg by sea, 3.5 or 4.5 kg by air, 9 kg by sea for Malaysia | 3.5 kg by air, 4 kg by sea |
| Reefer setting | 5 °C ±2, RH 85–90 % | 6–10 °C, tested per clone, RH 85–90 % |
| Storage life | About 4 weeks | 2–4 weeks |
Which one suits a sea programme?
White flesh. It is packed in 4 kg cartons, about 3,600–4,200 per 40' reefer, and keeps about 4 weeks at 5 °C. Malaysia takes a 9 kg carton. Details are in dragon fruit cartons and container loading.
Which one suits air freight?
Red flesh, in 3.5 kg cartons from 200 cartons per shipment, built onto airline pallets at Tan Son Nhat airport. Transit by air is 1–3 days. Treatment and documents depend on the destination and are listed market by market on the product pages.
Can both colours share a container?
Mixed white and red containers can be quoted. The set point is agreed per lot, because red-flesh clones are tested at 6–10 °C while white flesh travels at about 5 °C.
How are class and size set?
Class I is what we ship: skin defects of at most 1 cm² and none into the flesh, with a 10 % tolerance. Extra and Class II are packed on request. Each carton holds one size code, with at most 10 % of fruit from the adjacent code. Commercial sizes for white flesh are Premium 400–600 g, Grade A 300–400 g and Commercial 250–300 g; buyer bands such as 400–550 g are packed to order.
How small can a first order be?
By air, from 200 cartons. By sea, one pallet in a mixed container or a full 40' reefer.
Frequently asked questions
Is red flesh sweeter?
Typically yes: 13–17 °Brix at harvest against 12–16 for white flesh. Brix is measured on 10 fruit per lot and reported with the packing photos.
Do you export yellow dragon fruit?
No. We offer white flesh and red flesh only.
Is fruit available all year?
Yes. See the dragon fruit season guide.
Full specifications are on the product pages for white dragon fruit and red dragon fruit, with an overview on the dragon fruit page. For a price, use the dragon fruit quotation form.
Sources
Last reviewed 12 November 2026 by VIET FARM EXPORT COMPANY LIMITED, Ho Chi Minh City. Figures come from our dragon fruit specifications; they are indicative and confirmed with each quotation.