Disseminate new regulations from the import market of frozen durian and grapefruit, helping producers and businesses avoid the risk of being subject to strict control measures.

On October 23, in Can Tho City, the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) organized a training course to guide the new regulations of importing countries on requirements for growing areas and export packaging facilities for frozen durian and grapefruit for provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions.

The participants of the program are representatives of cooperatives, packaging facilities, exporters and local experts.

Representatives of cooperatives, packaging facilities, exporters and professional staff in the Mekong Delta and Southeast regions participated in a training session on new regulations for exporting frozen durian and grapefruit. Photo: Kim Anh.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, said that disseminating new regulations of the import market is a regular and continuous task of the unit, especially in the context of fruit export creating new momentum for the agricultural sector.

In addition, the training program also helps producers and exporters ensure compliance with regulations, avoiding violations that may cause importing countries to apply additional measures.

In the past, during the negotiation process to open the market, the Plant Protection Department has proposed feasible technical requirements and solutions that are suitable for the technical conditions in Vietnam. Such as reducing the freezing time of durian from 8 hours to 1 hour, at a temperature of -35 degrees Celsius. The process of storing, transporting and exporting durian must also ensure preservation at a temperature of -18 degrees Celsius.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, Deputy Director of the Plant Protection Department, assessed that disseminating new regulations of the import market is a task that needs to be done regularly and continuously. Photo: Kim Anh.

Thus, exporting enterprises can take advantage of technical advantages, encourage investment in new technologies such as using liquid nitrogen in freezing, to preserve the flavor and quality of the product better.

Unlike fresh durian, frozen durian is considered food in the Chinese market. The General Department of Customs of this country manages based on the provisions of Orders 248 and 249. This includes the registration of packaging facilities and food production facilities abroad. Mr. Hieu assessed that this form of management is completely different from the method applied to fresh durian.

Currently, there are hundreds of enterprises nationwide that proactively implement fruit and vegetable freezing technology. Of these, about 50 - 60 businesses have invested in technology specializing in freezing durian for export to demanding markets such as the US, EU... This shows that the capacity and technology of businesses are not a matter of concern when Vietnam starts exporting frozen durian to the Chinese market.

Durian that does not meet the standards for fresh export can be peeled and frozen for export. Photo: Minh Dam

Mr. Hieu predicts that the Chinese durian market from now to 2030 can expand and reach a scale of 10 billion USD. This is a great opportunity for the Vietnamese durian industry thanks to its geographical advantage, taking advantage of borders to reduce logistics costs.

For grapefruit, the Mekong Delta is the largest region in the country, equivalent to 32,000 hectares. The orientation for the period 2025 - 2030 is that the grapefruit growing area of ​​the region will increase to 110,000 - 120,000 hectares, with an output of 1.2 - 1.6 million tons.

Identifying this as a strategic product, since 2016, the Plant Protection Department has promoted negotiations to export grapefruit to many different markets such as the United States, EU, Korea, etc.

Process of controlling pests on grapefruit before export. Photo: Kim Anh.

In addition to fresh grapefruit, businesses are also promoting the export of grapefruit processed products such as: canned water, grapefruit juice, grapefruit essential oil, etc. Currently, fresh grapefruit from Vietnam is officially exported to 13 countries and territories, with a turnover of nearly 45 million USD (in 2023).

The advantage of Vietnamese grapefruit is that it is used fresh, instead of being squeezed for juice or used for processing like grapefruit products in some other countries. Therefore, popularizing the regulations of markets that have opened their doors to Vietnamese grapefruit will create an overall picture of grapefruit products in the present and future, aiming to expand to markets in China, Japan, and New Zealand.

Source: Nong Nghiep Newspaper