On May 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment chaired a conference, in coordination with relevant agencies, to announce the protocol on plant quarantine requirements for fresh grapefruit and lemon exported from Vietnam to China.
The conference aimed to disseminate technical content and regulations of the protocol; guide procedures for establishing growing areas and packing facilities that meet import requirements; instruct on controlling plant quarantine pests; and ensure record-keeping and documentation in line with Chinese regulations.
Specifically, all grapefruit and lemon growing areas and packing facilities that export to China must be registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment through the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection and approved by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) before participating in export.
Technical requirements include registered growing areas, approved packing facilities, and strict pest control measures to meet import standards.
Export growing areas must apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or equivalent standards, implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and fully carry out monitoring measures for pests of concern to China.
Grapefruit and lemon are among Vietnam’s advantageous agricultural products. Particularly for grapefruit, Vietnam ranks among the world’s leading producers, with about 106,000 hectares under cultivation and potential output exceeding 1 million tons, concentrated in large-scale production zones. However, these fruits are still mainly consumed domestically and have yet to establish a stable, large-scale export flow.
To date, Vietnam and China have signed more than 20 agreements and protocols related to the export of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. For fruit alone, about 10 types are exported officially under such protocols.
