On October 9, the Ceremony to Announce the Export of Vietnamese Grapefruit to Australia and Australian blueberries to Vietnam was held.
In mid-2023, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) received a notice from the Australian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to begin analyzing the risk of pests to Vietnamese grapefruits.
Over the past two years, the two sides have actively coordinated to promote technical exchanges, complete the epidemic risk analysis report and reach an agreement for Vietnam's fresh grapefruit to be imported to Australia. Thus, this will be the 6th fruit from Vietnam to successfully open the door to the Australian market.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung said that in the context of many fluctuations in the world economy, the agricultural sector is facing the need for stronger, greener and more transparent innovation. Vietnam always attaches importance to cooperating with Australia as a trustworthy strategic partner, not only in agricultural trade but also in knowledge transfer, technology and human resource development.
According to Deputy Minister Hoang Trung, the official presence of Vietnamese grapefruit in the Australian market is a step to affirm the position and integration capacity of Vietnamese agricultural products. At the same time, Australia's introduction of high-quality blueberries to Vietnam not only opens up choices for consumers, but also creates a premise for both sides to build a two-way supply chain, complementing each other in the region.
This is the result of effective coordination between management agencies, businesses and farmers of the two countries, especially the efforts of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Vietnam and the Australian Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry throughout the negotiation process, risk analysis and creating conditions for imported plant quarantine - Deputy Minister Hoang Trung emphasized.
Deputy Minister Hoang Trung also requested relevant agencies to quickly complete procedures, promote the import of fresh Australian blueberries to Vietnam.
Previously, fresh grapefruit from Vietnam has been present in the markets of 14 countries and territories, including the United States, South Korea, New Zealand, etc.
The export turnover of fresh grapefruit reached about 60 million USD (in 2024). For grapefruit, the production cost is not too high, for harvesting all year round, creating a competitive export advantage. Therefore, Vietnamese grapefruit still has a lot of room for export.
