Mr. Huynh Tan Dat, Director of the Plant Protection Department, said that Vietnam has potential and advantages in tropical fruits. Currently, Vietnamese fruits are exported to more than 60 countries and territories. Passion fruit alone is exported to 20 countries, in many forms such as fresh fruit, frozen fruit and juice.
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| Director Huynh Tan Dat and Australian Agricultural Counselor in Vietnam Tony Harman presented the signing minutes. (Photo: congthuong.vn) |
The passion fruit cultivation area is increasing, with more than 12,000 ha, mainly concentrated in the northern mountainous region. Currently, many provinces in the Central Highlands are interested in and expanding the area of passion fruit.
In recent years, Vietnam has focused on improving quality, producing in chains, ensuring traceability of passion fruit, focusing on two varieties of yellow passion fruit and purple passion fruit.
Many years ago, the Plant Protection Department began to implement technical documents, paving the way for the official export of passion fruit to Australia. After efforts in negotiation, market opening and close coordination between the two sides, passion fruit became the fifth fruit to be officially exported to Australia, after mango, longan, lychee and dragon fruit.
Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said, in the coming time, the two countries will continue to complete procedures so that Vietnamese grapefruit and Australian blueberries will be available in each side's market.
In addition to promoting and opening the market for passion fruit and plum, the two countries will continue to complete the final stages so that Vietnamese grapefruit and Australian blueberries will be available in the partner market.
According to the MARD, Vietnam currently has nearly 9,500 hectares of land under passion fruit cultivation, producing nearly 190,000 tonnes annually. Passion fruit is among the 18 fruit varieties with an annual production output exceeding 100,000 tonnes. Notably, 80 percent of the annual harvest is purchased by enterprises for processing and export.
Vietnam ranks among the 10 largest producers and exporters of passion fruit in the world, after Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru./.