Vietnamese grapefruit conquers Australia: High standards, great opportunities for businesses

Photo caption — Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung and Australian Ambassador Gillian Bird. Photo: Thu Trang - Huong Giang/Tin Tuc and Dan Toc Newspaper

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung affirmed that the fact that Vietnamese grapefruit has overcome barriers to enter the Australian market is the result of close coordination between managers, businesses and farmers in improving the quality of agricultural products. “This is the result of the cooperation between the two countries, a milestone to affirm the position and integration capacity of Vietnamese agricultural products in the global supply chain,” Deputy Minister Hoang Trung emphasized.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that the export of grapefruit to Australia is an important milestone, but the long-term goal is to diversify export markets. Although Australia has a small population, entering this market is a "door" to other high-end markets.

Vietnam is currently the second largest grapefruit producer in the world , with about 110,000 hectares of plantations yielding more than 1.2 million tons/year. The main production areas include the Mekong Delta, the Red River Delta and the Northern midlands and mountains. Many specialty grapefruit varieties such as: Da Xanh, Nam Roi, Phuc Trach, Dien, Doan Hung, Tan Trieu... have contributed to enriching the product. The outstanding advantage of this product is year-round harvest and reasonable production costs, creating favorable conditions for expanding export scale if meeting quality and quarantine requirements.

Vina T&T Group is one of the leading enterprises in fruit export. The company has exported grapefruit and many other fruits to demanding markets such as the US, Europe, Korea... Mr. Nguyen Phong Phu - Technical Director of Vina T&T Group Company said that every month, Vina T&T Group exports about 20 - 30 containers of grapefruit to the US. When the Australian market opens, this unit is ready to export 6 - 10 containers immediately.

Mr. Nguyen Phong Phu also shared that if the output is expanded, planning raw material growing areas will be easier, and producers will have more motivation to invest in care and production according to standards.

Mr. Duy Ly, representative of 4 Ways Fresh Group - a business importing Vietnamese fruits for distribution to supermarkets and stores in Australia, shared that Vietnamese grapefruit has many strengths such as: beautiful appearance, long-term preservation ability, good for health... If Australian consumer demand increases, the business can import hundreds of tons each year. He expects the best quality control and post-harvest handling to ensure product quality to consumers.

However, for Vietnamese grapefruit to enter Australia and many other high-end markets, many strict conditions must be met. Particularly for Australia, fresh grapefruit exported must be whole, stemmed or very short stemmed; the growing area and packaging facility must be assigned a code; the product must not be contaminated with 19 harmful organisms prohibited by Australia. Exported grapefruit shipments must comply with packaging, labeling and preservation requirements. In addition, the shipment must comply with irradiation regulations at an irradiation facility approved by the competent authority, with a minimum dose of 150 Gy; plant quarantine before export and inspection at the Australian port of arrival.

Deputy Minister Hoang Trung said that fully meeting these standards shows that the Vietnamese agricultural sector is not only making efforts to open the market but also upgrading the entire production chain, from plant varieties, growing area management to post-harvest technology. The Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection will coordinate with localities and businesses to disseminate plant quarantine regulations, guide the establishment of growing area codes, and facilities for packing exported grapefruit. Thereby, forming a synchronous production - export chain, ensuring stable and long-term quality.

The opening of the Australian market not only brings opportunities for increased revenue for businesses but also a "push" for the fruit industry to continue to reconsider how to organize production according to sustainable chains. The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment recommends that localities, cooperatives, businesses and farmers organize grapefruit production according to sustainable chains, apply VietGAP or GlobalGAP standards, and keep full production logs to clarify the origin of products, helping Vietnamese grapefruit not only expand its export scale, but also maintain its reputation and high value in the international market.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thi-truong-tien-te/buoi-viet-chinh-phuc-australia-tieu-chuan-cao-co-hoi-lon-cho-doanh-nghiep-20251013123154057.htm