Ministry of Industry and Trade gives tips for exporting watermelon to China

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has just released information on the production, consumption and import of watermelons in the Chinese market as well as some management regulations of this market regarding fruit import activities. Thereby, the Ministry has made some recommendations for Vietnamese enterprises.

According to the Asia-Africa Market Department, the current watermelon growing area in China is about 2 million hectares, accounting for 10% of the total fruit and vegetable growing area in China. The average output is about 73-75 million tons/year. Of which, 22/31 provinces and cities in China have watermelon growing areas.

China has now officially opened its doors to Vietnamese watermelons.

Notably, small-scale agricultural production sites in general and watermelon in particular in China have been and are being replaced by large growing areas with suitable natural conditions, applying mechanization and high technology in production, helping to increase productivity and output.

In terms of season, the watermelon harvest in China also lasts from late April to around September every year, not much different from the watermelon harvest season in Vietnam. Hainan is the locality with the earliest watermelon harvest, followed by Guangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong... Therefore, China tends to increase watermelon imports from November of the previous year to April of the following year.

In terms of consumption habits, fresh watermelon in China is often used as a dessert or squeezed into juice. In the past, Chinese people often preferred to eat watermelon in the summer to cool down and detoxify. Chinese consumers also often choose medium-sized watermelons, about 3-4 kg each.

The amount of watermelon imported by China from 2014 to early 2018 averaged over 200 thousand tons/year (turnover of about30 million USD/year). In addition to Vietnam, China also imports watermelons from Malaysia and Myanmar.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, many Vietnamese agricultural and fruit exporters have not paid enough attention to implementing the requirements set by China for watermelons in particular and agricultural products in general, for export to this country.

To minimize risks and ensure sustainable exports to the Chinese market, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that producers and exporters of agricultural products and fruits in general, and watermelons in particular, proactively coordinate with Chinese importers to research and comply with regulations on quality standards.

In addition, it is necessary to comply with the testing, quarantine, packaging, and traceability of the Chinese market. In case the fruit garden and packaging enterprise are not on the list posted by the General Administration of Customs of China, Vietnamese enterprises need to proactively contact the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for specific instructions.