Four types of Vietnamese fruits may be licensed for exporting to the US in the near future, one official said.
Vietnamese longan may be exported to the US
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat, made the statement after a meeting with the US Secretary of Agriculture. Phat and several other government officials accompanied State President Truong Tan Sang to the recent visit to the US.
This would be a good sign for the Vietnamese vegetable agriculture industry, as few fruits and vegetables are currently allowed into the US from Vietnam.
One of the changes would include the opening of a new market for longan, welcome news to farmers.
Currently, most of longan in Hung Yen is sold in the local market, but recently some have been illegally exported to China.
Concerning the developing plans between the US and Vietnam, Trinh Van Thinh, Charman of Hong Nam Longan Cooperative, said, “This is great news for us. We just hope to make sure that our business is stable.”
However, Hoang Trung, from the MARD’s Department of Plant Protection Department, said that the issue is more complicated. In order to get a license, Vietnamese fruit exporters must meet several strict requirements such as listing diseases and epidemics, the chemicals used and methods of harvesting and packaging processes.
He hoped that, apart from longan in Hung Yen Province, longan from the Mekong Delta region would also be eligible for exports to the US.
Many hope that the agreement could allow Vietnam to realise their goal for fruit export revenues, USD1 billion per year.
