First official batch of durians exported to China on September 17

First official batch of durians exported to China on September 17 (Photo: VOV)

The move comes following the signing of the protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) over two months ago.

Ngo Tuong Vy, deputy general director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Co., Ltd., one of the official durian exporters to China, revealed that the unit has exported three containers of 18 tonnes each on September 17.

This comes after four years of negotiations with China, with the recently signed protocol between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the GACC allowing official exports of local durian to the Chinese market.

Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, deputy director of the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the northern neighbour has announced that a total of 51 growing areas and 25 packing facilities in Vietnam are eligible for official export.

Huong added that the country’s durian growing area eligible for official export accounts for only 7%, a small proportion of the overall figure.

Among the approved growing area codes are 26 growing areas that are harvested between September and November with an output of 13,000 tonnes and 14,000 tonnes per month.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has therefore proposed the Plant Protection Department and relevant units at localities continue to provide instruction on the growing areas and packing facilities in order to submit their document to the GACC for approval in the near future./.