Vietnamese dragon fruit to access Australian market

                  Australian market Dragon fruit harvest in Long An province (Photo:VNA)

The Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has prepared a draft report assessing Vietnam’s market access request to export fresh dragon fruit to Australia.

According to a press release published by the Australian Embassy in Vietnam on September 13, the report proposes that the importation of fresh dragon fruit to Australia be permitted from all commercial production areas of Vietnam, subject to a range of biosecurity conditions.

The report has been prepared following a review of scientific knowledge concerning pests and diseases of concern, technical discussions with the Plant Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and an inspection of dragon fruit production areas in Vietnam by Australian government officials in June 2016.

The report has been released for a 60 day comment period, which closes on November 14 this year. Thereafter, stakeholder comments will be considered and a final report will be prepared. It is expected that the risk analysis will be completed by the end of 2016.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised the high priority of this market access request during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Vientiane last week.

Last year, some 28 tonnes of fresh Vietnamese lychees were sold on the Australian market. The first batch arrived in the country in May 2015. Australia also completed risk assessment for Vietnamese mangos last November./.

Source: NDO