A batch of 40 tons of pomelos were officially exported to the US

Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Group Joint Stock Company makes this 40-ton pomelo batch. This is also the 7th fruit of Vietnam allowed to be imported into the United States, after fruits: mango, longan, litchi, dragon fruit, rambutan, and breast milk.

The official export event of the first batches of pomelos held in Ben Tre is the pride of not only Ben Tre pomelo growers but also the familiar joy of pomelo growers across the country.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam highly appreciated local businesses, functional sectors and farmers. He said that this is the effort of Ben Tre province's authorities, companies and gardeners to overcome difficulties and negotiate for standard pomelos to be exported to the United States. Because of the growing areas, the pomelo packing facility had to prepare and undergo a lot of inspection by the two countries' specialized agencies, especially meeting the requirements of quarantine and control of harmful organisms, food safety and hygiene.

"The event is significant because the official export of pomelo will help Vietnamese businesses have the opportunity to access the large US market and is also one of the most difficult markets today. Also, this is a valuable opportunity for fresh pomelos and continues to promise positive negotiation results to open up the market for other agricultural products of Vietnam in the upcoming future," said Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam.

Mrs. Ngo Tuong Vy, General Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import Export Group Joint Stock Company, shared: In the past time, Chanh Thu Company has accompanied the Plant Protection Department to absorb the changes and The request from the US side to take preparation steps from the raw material area to the packaging facility to serve the inspection, is very difficult.

For pomelos, technical requirements, as well as pest control, are stringent. Therefore, the enterprise has trained farmers and converted the farming scale. Especially the conditions on residues of pesticides and regulations on packing facilities... were also accepted by the US side.

Exporting the first batch of pomelos from Ben Tre province to the US market is the initial success in perfecting the technical processes of cultivation and post-harvest preservation to the necessary standards.

"Products that can enter the US market in addition to the benefits of export turnover growth, more importantly, increase the prestige of Vietnamese fruit products. It helps us to have enough confidence to conquer potential markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and China", added Mrs. Ngo Tuong Vy.

According to Mr. Tran Ngoc Tam, Chairman of Ben Tre Provincial People's Committee, currently, out of 7 fruit tree products of Vietnam exported to the US market, Ben Tre has three products, including pomelo, longan, and rambutan. Pomelo has an area of ​​about 10,000 hectares, with an annual output of over 90,000 tons. The province has guided and supported people to care for pomelo gardens according to safety and quality standards.

In which, focus on plant quarantine objects of interest to the US side, build planting areas, and organize preliminary processing and packing after harvest to ensure compliance with regulations. The whole province of Ben Tre has been granted 25 area codes for growing green-skinned pomelos for export to the EU and US markets. Particularly for the US market, 11 codes have been granted with an area of over 156 hectares and an output of 3,135 tons per year.

According to Chairman of Ben Tre province Tran Ngoc Tam, in the coming time, Ben Tre province will strive to improve the quality of pomelo and fruit. He suggested businesses continue to accompany, boldly invest, expand production, and apply scientific and technical advances to production. He suggested the provincial authorities continue to attend and share help, promptly removing difficulties and problems of businesses and people.

Recently, the Covid-19 epidemic's influence has made the output of agricultural products in general and grapefruit in particular extremely difficult. The fact that Vietnamese pomelos were accepted for official export to the US market has brought excitement to farmers and businesses in this field.