Protocol expected to raise Vietnamese watermelon shipments to China
The recent signing of a protocol regarding the export of Vietnamese watermelon to China via official channels will help deter trade risks, boost the standard of the farm produce, and ease congestion at border gates, Director of the Plant Protection Department Huynh Tan Dat has said.
In an interview with the Lao dong (labour) newspaper, the official said in the long term, as a result of the document, the links among growers as well as between them and packaging establishments and exporters will be strengthened, promoting a standardised production process, the application of good farming practices and sci-tech advances, and the forming of quality and environmentally friendly products. They are all conducive to sustainable exports for watermelon growers.
Under the protocol signed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and General Administration of Customs China (GACC), fresh watermelon permitted to enter the Chinese market must come from the cultivation and processing establishments approved by both agencies. All plantations involved must cultivate the plants following the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
The negotiation for the pact began in late 2019 and its signing took place in December last year, with Vietnam now completing all procedures for the exports of the fruit to China, according to Dat.
As a result, the annual export value of the farm produce is likely to reach US$70-80 million from the current US$50 million, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit & Vegetables Association Dang Phuc Nguyen has predicted.
