The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has sent sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) database of 16 kinds of fruits to be exported to the US, according to its commitment in accession to the WTO and trade promotion program.
The fruits include banana, blue dragon fruit, durian, guava, plum, jack-fruit, rose-apple fruit, litchi, longan, mango, pineapple, pomelo, rambutan, sapodilla, star apple and watermelon.
Basing on the list, the US will consider allowing import of those fruits after examining fruit growing areas, transport and Vietnam’s quarantine system.
Once Vietnamese fruits meet SPSs by the US, they will be recognized to be free from insects and then find easier to penetrate into not only the US but also other countries in the world.
China, the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruits, has recently imposed SPSs on 23 kinds of fruits imported from Thailand, a redoubtable opponent of Vietnamese fruit exporters.
Other fruits to be covered are coconuts, bananas, papaya, rambutans, oranges, tangerines, pomeloes, pineapple, tamarind, guava and carambola (star fruit).
The MARD Jul 31 held conference on carrying out fruit, vegetable and flower development program by 2010, in Mekong Delta Tien Giang province.
The program said by 2010, Vietnam will have one million ha of fruit growing area providing 10 million tons a year, including 225,000ha and 430,000 tons for export.
Total area for vegetable growing will be 700,000 ha, which can provide 14 million tons, including 100,000 ha of vegetables grown in the safe mode.
Flowers and ornamental trees will be grown on an area of 15,000 ha, producing 6.3 billion flowers. Meanwhile, the area for growing pepper will remain unchanged at 50,000 ha.
Vietnam will focus on developing orchards southeastern region, Mekong River Delta and Red River Delta, while lowering the growing area in the Central Highlands and central coastal region.
Vegetables and spices will be mainly grown in the Red River Delta, Mekong River Delta, the southeastern region, and Lam Dong province will remain the basket of vegetable in the country.
The country is expected to rake in US$760 million from fruit, vegetable and flower exports in 2010 and US$1.2 billion in 2010, to which fruit contributing US$295 million, vegetable US$295 million, flower US$60 million and pepper US$250 million. (Liberated Saigon, Vietnam Economic Times)
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