Vietnam pomelos officially licensed for export to US

VOV.VN - The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially announced that it will allow the import of fresh pomelo from Vietnam after more than five years of negotiations.

This information was released by Hoang Trung, director of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at a meeting in Hanoi on October 17.

Currently, pomelo is the seventh fresh Vietnamese fruit that has received permission to enter the US market, following mangoes, longans, lychees, dragon fruit, rambutans, and star apples.

Statistics compiled by the US Department of Agriculture indicate that the US has huge demand for such fruits, estimated at around 12 million tonnes annually, while the US’ domestic production of fresh fruits only meets roughly 70% of demand.

Vietnam boasts a total area of 105,400ha under pomelo cultivation which yields an output of nearly 950,000 tonnes each year. Many localities in the Mekong Delta can be viewed as potential growing areas for high-quality green-skinned pomelos, offering a golden chance for Vietnamese fruits in general, and pomelo in particular, to enter the US market.

Nguyen Quang Hieu, head of the International Cooperation Office of the Department of Plant Protection, noted that according to US regulations, fruit exports must meet strictly US standards relating to fruit cultivation areas and fruit packing facilities. Along with these rules, products must be irradiated at a stipulated factory under the supervision of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Ngo Tuong Vy, deputy director of the Chanh Thu Import-Export Co., Ltd, a key fruit exporter to the US, said pomelo exports to this market must obtain VietGAP and GlobalGAP certifications.

The Plant Protection Department has launched several programmes aimed at monitoring pesticide residues and providing guidelines for farmers and businesses in order to control pests and use pesticides in a safe manner.

Currently, Vietnamese pomelo is mainly exported in the form of fresh fruit with low-added value. Pomelo can be processed and turned into many different products such as fruit juice, essential oils, and jams, while the essence in pomelo peels can be used to produce several different types of pharmaceuticals and foodstuffs.

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