Vietnam exports first batch of mangoes to US

Dong Thap (VNA) - The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has become the first locality in Vietnam to export mangoes to the US.

The mangoes are provided with a code from the Vietnamese Plant Protection Department and the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for management and tracibility (Photo: VNA)

Nguyen Thi Hong Thu, Director of the Chanh Thu Fruits Import and Export Ltd Co, said the company shipped the first batch of eight tonnes of mangoes to the US by air on April 18. The batch came from the My Xuong Mango Cooperative in Dong Thap.

At present, the company has managed over 25 regions growing all kinds of fruit over an area of nearly 400ha, including 175ha of mango.

In addition, the company has worked with many cooperatives growing fruits, including the My Xuong Mango Cooperative in Dong Thap province and the Binh Phuoc Xuan in An Giang Province.

At a ceremony announcing the first mango exports to the US, Nguyen Thanh Hung, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap, said the province is home to 9,200ha of mangoes, producing 100,000 tonnes per year, topping the Mekong Delta region.

Mangoes are among the province’s five key products to be boosted for export.

Dong Thap has applied Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) and Global Good Agricultural Practices (GlobalGap) in mango cultivation, which has helped to improve quality.

Mangoes are grown in 59 among 63 localities in Vietnam. Of which, the Mekong Delta region accounts for 48 per cent of mango plantations in the country. About 96 per cent of Vietnamese mangoes are produced and sold locally.

Vietnamese mangoes have been exported to 40 countries, including the Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, China and Thailand.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department said the US had finally agreed to import Vietnamese mangoes after 10 years of negotiations.

Vietnam gained an export value of 4 billion USD from fruits and vegetables last year, according to the ministry.