Chinese mangoes made in plastic bags: Just a hoax?

Recently, many videos have been posted on social media showing thick, plastic-like membranes inside mango seeds, attracting thousands of viewers.

The white membrane inside the mango seed is rumored by some to be nylon - (Image cropped from a video by NLD)

However, this is just a rumor and there is no basis to conclude that the mangoes are fake.

Mr. Ma Quang Trung, Director of the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), confirmed that the mango variety in the video recently circulated online originates from Taiwan and has been cultivated in Vietnam.

According to incomplete reports from the Department of Crop Production, the southern provinces have so far planted over 6,000 hectares of Taiwanese mangoes. This includes 4,315 hectares in An Giang, 827 hectares in Dong Thap (620 hectares currently producing fruit), 740 hectares in Dong Nai, 100 hectares in Vinh Long, 40 hectares in Hau Giang, and 25 hectares in Tien Giang.

Taiwanese mangoes (also known as three-colored mangoes or green Taiwanese mangoes) grow vigorously, are less susceptible to pests and diseases, and have thick skins that are convenient for long-distance transportation, so farmers are increasing the area planted with them.

"However, this mango variety only meets the demand for fresh consumption; it has not been thoroughly researched and has not been officially recognized as a variety permitted for production in the Southern provinces," Mr. Trung noted.

Regarding plant quarantine, Mr. Trung said that if the units bring these varieties into Vietnam for research and testing purposes and have obtained permission, then these varieties have already undergone safety quarantine before being imported into Vietnam.

"However, there are cases where trees are brought into Vietnam via personal baggage or smuggled through unofficial channels, and these have not been checked for pests and diseases," Mr. Trung said.

Mr. Trung also added that the area planted with Taiwanese mangoes has increased unusually rapidly in recent years. The Department of Crop Production has requested the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development in many Southern provinces to properly manage the approved mango planting plans and schemes. Local authorities are also required to develop plans to disseminate information and guide farmers to cautiously plant new mango varieties to avoid disrupting the approved plans and schemes and affecting the stable development of mango cultivation areas in the region.

Meanwhile, according to Zing, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam has directed relevant departments and agencies to investigate and clarify the incident.

According to vov/zing