Fruits exchange: A driving force for market opening of Vietnam and Australia

On the morning of October 9 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam, in collaboration with the Australian Embassy to Vietnam, held a ceremony to announce the official export of Vietnamese pomelos to Australia and Australian blueberries to Vietnam. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung described the event as “a milestone in the agricultural partnership between the two countries".

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Trung emphasized that the bilateral trade in these two fruits represents not only economic exchange but also mutual trust, understanding, and a shared commitment to sustainable development.

“For three years, technical experts from both countries have worked tirelessly, from orchards to quarantine labs, to achieve today’s result,” he said, noting that this cooperation reflects strong technical and policy coordination between the two ministries of agriculture.

According to Deputy Minister Trung, in 2024, two-way agricultural trade between Vietnam and Australia reached USD 2.24 billion, but significant growth potential remains given the strengths of both nations. The exchange of fruit, especially high-value varieties, will serve as a driver for market diversification, supply chain resilience, and global competitiveness.

Pomelo, the sixth Vietnamese fruit granted access to the Australian market, has become a symbol of Vietnam’s global agricultural integration. The country currently cultivates over 110,000 hectares of pomelo with an annual output of around 1.2 million tonnes, primarily concentrated in the Mekong Delta, Red River Delta, and Northern Midlands.

From “Da Xanh” and “Nam Roi” to “Phuc Trach", “Dien", and “Doan Hung” pomelos, each regional variety showcases Vietnam’s rich agricultural diversity and contributes to building the “Vietnamese pomelo” brand on the world fruit map. In recent years, numerous pomelo-growing areas and packing facilities have met VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. Strict compliance with irradiation, pest treatment, and traceability procedures has enhanced product quality and competitiveness.

Alongside this, Vietnam has officially approved the import of Australian blueberries, the seventh Australian fruit permitted for entry into the country, further enriching the domestic fruit market.

Deputy Minister Trung noted that Australian blueberries are renowned for their superior quality, nutritional value, and production under pristine ecological conditions adhering to strict biosecurity standards. Their presence in Vietnam not only diversifies consumer choices but also demonstrates mutual confidence in plant quarantine and food safety management between the two competent authorities.

He urged local authorities, enterprises, and trade associations to strictly comply with Australia’s import requirements, particularly regarding production processes, traceability, and pest control. At the same time, Vietnamese technical agencies must swiftly complete import procedures for Australian blueberries to ensure transparent and sustainable trade.

“I believe that from Vietnamese pomelos and Australian blueberries, we will open a new chapter of sustainable agricultural cooperation and shared prosperity between our two nations”, Deputy Minister Trung affirmed.

While his remarks outlined the long-term strategic vision for Vietnam–Australia agricultural cooperation, Plant Production and Protection Department Director Huynh Tan Dat focused on the persistent technical efforts that turned such commitments into reality.

He said the October 9 ceremony was not merely a commercial event but a testament to the perseverance of technical agencies in both countries in facilitating transparent and safe agricultural trade.

“Behind every pomelo or blueberry lies a long journey of collaboration, technical trust, and continuous standardisation”, Mr. Dat said, underscoring the symbolic importance of this achievement for bilateral agricultural relations.

He stressed that the approval for fresh Vietnamese pomelos to enter Australia, one of the world’s most stringent markets, demonstrates Vietnam’s advancing plant quarantine capacity. Conversely, the import of Australian blueberries into Vietnam allows domestic consumers access to high-quality produce and balances the trade benefits between the two sides.

According to Mr. Dat, this success reflects the close coordination between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), with active support from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, local authorities, businesses, cooperatives, irradiation facilities, and packing houses.

“We have proven that only by strictly adhering to technical requirements, traceability, and quality management can we access the most demanding markets”, he emphasized.

Following Deputy Minister Trung’s direction, the Plant Production and Protection Department will continue working with businesses and Australian partners to ensure stable, effective, and sustainable pomelo exports. It also aims to expand access for additional Vietnamese fruits to Australia, while strengthening cooperation in quarantine, biosecurity, and quality management.

Mr. Dat concluded that every step forward in agricultural cooperation is built on perseverance and mutual trust. “I believe that after today, not only Vietnamese pomelos and Australian blueberries, but many other fruits, will continue to tell the story of partnership, responsibility, and a shared aspiration for sustainable development between our two nations”, he said.