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Vietnamese dragon fruit’s first shipment arrives in US
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the US Department of Agriculture announced on October 20 that the first shipments of dragon fruit from Vietnam arrived in Long Beach Port, California, on October 18.
This was an important step towards expanding agricultural trade, said APHIS administrator, Cindy Smith.
Shipments of fresh Vietnamese dragon fruit met import regulations after being irradiated at an APHIS-certified facility prior to export. Irradiation has been an approved treatment for all pests for fruits and vegetables entering the US since 2002.
According to APHIS, each shipment must also be accompanied by a certificate issued by Vietnam’s Department of plant protection to certify that the treatment and inspection of the dragon fruit is made in accordance with APHIS regulations.
Vietnam is the third country in the Southeast Asian region to have their fruit irradiated in its country before being imported into the US, following India and Thailand.
The irradiation technology protects American agriculture while providing our trading partners, like Vietnam, another treatment alternative that ensures its commodities are free of harmful pests and diseases, said Cindy Smith.
VOV
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