PANO – The Australian Embassy to Vietnam on September 13 released that the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has prepared a draft report assessing Vietnam’s market access request to export fresh dragon fruit to Australia.

The report proposes that the importation of fresh dragon fruit to Australia be permitted from all commercial production areas of Vietnam, subject to a range of biosecurity conditions. 

Vietnamese dragon fruits (Photo for illustration)

The report has been prepared following a review of scientific knowledge of pests and diseases of concern, technical discussions with the Plant Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and an inspection of dragon fruit production areas in Vietnam by Australian government officials in June 2016.

The report has been released for a 60 day comment period, which closes on 14 November 2016. Following this, stakeholder comments will be considered and a final report will be prepared. It is expected that the risk analysis will be completed by the end of 2016.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised the high priority of this market access request during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Vientiane last week.

Reported by Thu Nguyen