Dragon fruit is packaged in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Australia recently announced that it would permitthe import of Vietnamese dragon fruit, making Vietnam the first country to getlicence to export fresh dragon fruit to the country.
Dragon fruit is one of Vietnam’s key export fruits, and saw export sales worth 895.7million USD in 2016, accounting for 50.3 percent of the country’s total freshfruit exports and 36.1 percent of its total fruit and vegetables exports.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that in order to export goods to theAustralian market, exporters must comply with stringent regulations.
Specifically, businesses must have a valid licence issued by the AustralianDepartment of Agriculture and Water Resources as well as a certificate ofno-insect infection in the area of biological safety control by Vietnam’s PlantProtection Department (PPD).
The fresh dragon fruit must originate, be produced and exported from Vietnam,in accordance with relevant conditions and programmes.
Before shipment, the fruits must undergo vapour heat treatment (VHT) for 40minutes at 46.5 degrees Celsius at a minimum of 90 percent humidity at aprocessing facility approved by the PPD.
The produce must be free of insects and diseases and must not have contaminantpollutants.
Packaging must be done using synthetic materials or highly processed materialsof plant origin; unprocessed materials such as straw cannot be used.
The cartons or individual packages must be tied firmly and labelled with uniqueidentifier to facilitate traceability.
[Vietnamese dragon fruit exported to 40 markets]
The treated products must be protected from harmful insects during and afterpackaging, while handling, storing and transporting between locations. Productsthat have been inspected and certified by a competent authority from Vietnam mustbe maintained in a safe condition so as not to be mixed with fruits exported toother markets, or for consumption in the domestic market.
The PPD must inspect containers prior to loading and ensure there are noinsects, and all vents must be covered to prevent insect infiltration.
The Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources can review theimport policy at any time after trade commences, or when pest and quarantinecontrol rules in Vietnam are altered.
Fresh dragon fruit is one of Vietnam’s priority agricultural commodities forthe Australian market. Australia is also speeding up the approval process forother fresh fruits from Vietnam.-VNA
VNA
