Vietnam's fruit, veg exports almost double
For this year's first quarter, Vietnam's fruit and vegetables exports reached US$764 million, an in…For this year's first quarter, Vietnam's fruit and vegetables exports reached US$764 million, an increase of 47.7 percent compared to the same period last year. By the end of May, it is predicted that fruits and vegetables exports will exceed $900 million. More than 3,400 tons of fresh fruit has been exported to demanding markets; 2,522 tons of dragon fruits were sent to the US, Japan, and South Korea; more than 229 tons of mangos to Japan and South Korea; more than 160 tons of rambutans and nearly 500 tons of longans to the US.
According to the department, countries including the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil usually have strict plant quarantine regulations, especially on fresh fruits. However, the US has allowed import of white-flesh dragon fruits, red-flesh dragon fruits, rambutans, longans, and lychees from Vietnam. The US is in progress to complete procedures to allow import of Vietnamese mangos and star apples.
Japan has also given green-light to import of white-flesh dragon fruits and mangos from Vietnam. Currently, Vietnam is asking for permission to export red-flesh dragon fruits, lychees, and longans into Japan.
South Korea agreed to import Vietnamese white-flesh and red-flesh dragon fruits, and mangos and will import Vietnamese star apples in the near future.
Taiwan officially announced that it will reopen doors for Vietnamese dragon fruits from June 1 this year. Earlier, Thailand opened their gates for Vietnamese longans and lychees from May 13.