Fruit farmers continue to face export hurdles

Though Vietnam has increasingly begun to export fruits to western markets, exporters continue to face many hurdles.

The country produces more than 6 million tones of a variety of fruits a year, but it exports just 15 percent of the output. Only 2.5 percent of this is fresh fruit, with the rest being processed items.

According to Dam Quoc Tru, deputy head of the Department of Plant Protection, this low figure is attributed to not applying modern technologies in farming, processing and preservation of fruits.

As importing countries demand strict conformity to hygiene and food safety standards, Vietnamese fruits must also conform to international plant protection and quarantine standards for export under the International Plant Protection Convention and the Global Good Agricultural Practices standard.

It is time for Vietnam to use technology to improve the productivity and quality of its fruits, said Dr. Nguyen Minh Chau, rector of the Southern Fruit-tree Institute.

Therefore, the Government should help the industry grow specific fruits on larger areas, and provide loans for improving orchards.

VOV

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