Vietnamese pomelo to enter US market

Following more than five years of negotiations, Vietnam’s fresh pomelo has officially been given the go-ahead to be exported to the US. Pomelo is the seventh fresh fruit of Vietnam to be licensed to enter the US market, following mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apple. 

The US comes up to 12 million tons of fruit each year, with domestic production meeting 70% of the demand. Meanwhile, Vietnam has 105,400ha of pomelo production, yielding almost 905,000 tons of fruit. The Mekong Delta alone houses about 32,000ha with an output of some 369,000 tons.

To export pomelo to the US, the Plant Protection Department will work with relevant parties to carry out concerted measures, especially training farmers and exporting companies in the US’s import requirements. It will also maintain the granting of production unit codes and strictly monitor pest contamination in fruit.