Grapefruit exports surge.

After officially entering the US and New Zealand markets, grapefruit exports in the first eight months of the year increased by 144% compared to the same period last year.

Preliminary figures from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association show that, in addition to durian, pomelo is also a fruit with a high export value this year. In the first eight months, pomelo exports reached $29.6 million, a 144% increase compared to the same period in 2022, the strongest increase in the past five years.

Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, General Secretary of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that previously, Vietnamese pomelos were only exported to the EU or the Middle East, but since the end of 2022, thanks to the signing of official export protocols to the US and New Zealand, exports have increased dramatically. In addition, the quality of Vietnamese green-skinned pomelos has improved, making them popular in many countries.

Green-skinned pomelos are carefully packaged and inspected before being shipped to the US. Photo: Linh Dan

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tung - General Director of Vina T&T Import-Export Company - which holds 60% of the market share for fruit and vegetable exports to the US - said that Vietnamese pomelos have only recently entered the US and New Zealand markets and are competing with strong rivals from China and Mexico, but are by no means at a disadvantage.

In the US, Vietnam's biggest competitor for pomelos is China. Chinese pomelos sell for only $2 (49,000 VND) per kilogram and have attractive packaging, while Vietnamese pomelos cost $9 (220,000 VND) per kilogram, 4.5 times higher. Therefore, initially, when Vietnamese pomelos entered the US market, importers showed little interest. However, after a period of consumer acceptance, they have been placing significantly higher orders compared to the initial period.

"This is the first year my company has exported pomelos to the US, but production has increased rapidly every quarter. If in the first three months we exported 40-foot containers a month, now we're exporting 16 containers a month," Mr. Tung shared.

According to Mr. Tung, Vietnamese pomelos face many challenges in terms of price and preservation compared to Chinese pomelos in the US market, but they have an advantage in terms of quality and taste. Therefore, to increase pomelo production in these markets, farmers and businesses need to produce the highest quality products. These markets are not overly concerned with packaging, but rather focus on product quality, especially ensuring consumer health.

At the end of 2022, fresh pomelo – the seventh Vietnamese fruit, after mangoes, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apple – was allowed to be imported into the US after five years of negotiations by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development .

Similarly, this fruit has also been officially exported to New Zealand since December 2022.

According to the Plant Protection Department, fresh pomelos from Vietnam have been exported to 12 countries and territories. Under US regulations, the growing areas and processing facilities for fresh pomelos exported to this market must be registered with the Plant Protection Department and the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The fruit must not be contaminated with any plant quarantine pests of concern to the US; it must be treated with irradiation and certified by the Plant Protection Department.

Grapefruit growing areas and packing facilities must implement appropriate management measures to eliminate the pests of concern to you, including fruit flies such as Bactrocera dorsalis and Zeugodacus cucurbitae; fruit borers such as Prays endocarpa; and fungi such as Cylindrocarpon lichenicola and Phyllosticta citriasiana.

Currently, the whole country has 105,400 hectares of pomelo orchards, producing nearly 905,000 tons with diverse varieties characteristic of each region. The Mekong Delta region has approximately 32,000 hectares of pomelo orchards with a production of 369,000 tons... This is also the region with the largest area of ​​green-skinned pomelo cultivation.

Vnexpress.net