How do Australian cherries enter Vietnam?

Leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development confirmed that there are currently no official cherries from Australia entering Vietnam.

Mr. Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), said that in the near future, Australian cherries will be officially imported into Vietnam. However, Mr. Hoang Trung emphasized that the two countries have only reached an agreement, and no official shipment of Australian cherries has been imported into Vietnam through official channels.

Mr. Trung himself has not signed any plant quarantine license to sell Australian cherries in Vietnam.

The Australian cherry currently sold in Vietnam may enter through another route.

According to the leader of the Plant Protection Department, before 2010, Australian cherries were imported into Vietnam. However, the authorities later discovered cherry fruit flies and temporarily suspended imports until now. Currently, the two sides have completed negotiations on technical issues to agree to officially import cherries into Vietnam.

When asked about the fact that there are many cherries on the market that are advertised as being imported from Australia, Mr. Hoang Trung emphasized that consumers need to distinguish carefully. Currently, American and New Zealand cherries have been officially exported to Vietnam, but not from Australia. The Director of the Plant Protection Department said that it is not impossible that Australian cherries come from hand-carried routes.

However, Mr. Trung emphasized that very few cherries enter Vietnam by hand-carrying because Australia strictly controls goods leaving the country. The head of the Plant Protection Department also does not rule out the possibility of commercial fraud in the Vietnamese cherry market.

“Some units may import cherries from somewhere to Vietnam, then label them as Australian. This type of cherry may not be controlled by the authorities, so it cannot be ruled out,” Mr. Trung emphasized.

Soon Vietnamese consumers will be able to eat genuine imported Australian cherries.

Previously, according to a new statement issued by the leaders of the two countries, Australia accepted new import conditions for Vietnamese dragon fruit.

In return, Vietnam will allow Australian cherries to be officially exported starting in the 2017-2018 harvest season.

According to the Australian Department of Agriculture and Resources, the country's cherry export turnover reached 76 million USD in the 2015-2016 season with a quantity of 5,600 tons.

Cherry season in Australia starts from around the end of November to February of the following year. The current selling price of this fruit in the Vietnamese market ranges from 200,000 to 600,000 VND/kg./.

According to VOV