“Thieu” lychee is Vietnam’s fourth fresh fruit licensed to be exported to Japan after dragon fruit, mango and banana. (Photo: VNA)Tokyo (VNA) – Japan’s recent decisionof importing Vietnamese “thieu” lychee is expected to open new doors for thisfruit, according to Vietnamese Trade Counsellor in Japan Ta Duc Minh.
“Thieu”lychee is Vietnam’s fourth fresh fruit licensed to be exported to Japan afterdragon fruit, mango and banana, Minh told the Vietnam News Agency correspondentsin Japan on January 9.
Since Japan is one of the choosiest markets inthe world with strict food safety and hygiene standards, the presence ofVietnamese fresh lychee in the market will help widen doors to export to otherdeveloped countries, Minh said.
To make good use of this opportunity, Minhadvised businesses to strictly abide by Japan’s quarantine regulations andstandards on food hygiene and safety.
Fruit exporters must pay special attention tothe quarantine stage because any batches of lychee with pesticide residuesexceeding the Japanese regulation will be returned or destroyed, he said.
He suggested applying advanced preservationtechnology to keep the lychee fresh longer.
In December 2019, the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) sent a letter to thePlant Protection Department of Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development saying to open door for Vietnamese “thieu” lychee.
This is the result of more than five years ofnegotiation efforts between the Vietnamese Plant Protection Department and theMAFF.
The letter was enclosed with regulations onimported plant quarantine for Vietnamese lychee, which took effect fromDecember 15, 2019.
Accordingly, Vietnamese lychee exported to Japanmust be grown in gardens supervised and granted area codes by the PlantProtection Department, and comply with Japan’s regulations on plant quarantineand food safety.
Exported batches must be packed and treated withMethyl Bromide at facilities recognised by the Plant Protection Department andthe MAFF with the minimum dosage of 32g/m3 for two hours under the supervisionof Vietnamese and Japanese plant quarantine officers.
They must be enclosed with a phytosanitarycertificate issued by the Plant Protection Department./.
VNA
