First batch of pomelo officially shipped to US market

A ceremony to mark the event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ben Tre provincial administration.

The move comes following nearly six years of negotiations, and Ben Tre is the first locality to export pomelo to the demanding market.

Ngo Tuong Vy, general director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Group Joint Stock Company, that exported the first batch of pomelo to the US, emphasised that the US strictly controls pest contamination in fruit, a factor which led the firm to take time to train farmers and change farming practice.

The company has initiated plans to improve linkages and introduce pomelos into large supermarket chains throughout the US such as Costco and Walmart, Vy revealed.

According to the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam is home to 105,400 ha of land under pomelo cultivation that yields nearly 905,000 tonnes of fruit annually, opening up bright prospects for the fruit to gain entry into the US market.

However, to export pomelo to the US, the department noted local businesses are required to meet the stringent import conditions set by the importers in terms of growing area, packaging plants, and irradiation capacity.

At present, the Plant Protection Department is coordinating with relevant agencies to train farmers and export companies on import requirements from the US.

Simultaneously, localities are working closely with the Plant Protection Department in order to set up growing area codes for the export of green-skinned pomelo to the demanding market.

Pomelo is the seventh fresh Vietnamese fruit licensed to enter the US market, following mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apple.