“The Health Treasure Trove: Vietnam’s Fruit Export to South Korea”

The citrus fruit that is a “treasure trove” of health benefits, with Vietnam producing almost 905,000 tons, has just been purchased by South Korea. At the conference on food safety regulations and quarantine of plants and animals on August 2nd, a representative from the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) announced that from this August, fresh pomelo from Vietnam is officially allowed to be imported into South Korea.

Thus, pomelo becomes the third fruit of Vietnam, after dragon fruit and mango, to be exported to the land of Kimchi. “Each import market has its own requirements for plant quarantine and quality. Vietnam coordinates with quarantine experts from the US and Japan to supervise and ensure that exported batches meet the standards,” shared the representative of the Plant Protection Department.

Pomelo is considered a “treasure” of health benefits. From the pulp to the peel, all parts of the pomelo have beneficial effects on human health.

Pomelo is a key fruit product of Vietnam. The country currently has 105,400 hectares of pomelo plantations, producing nearly 905,000 tons of the fruit, distributed throughout the country. The Mekong Delta region accounts for approximately 32,000 hectares with a yield of about 369,000 tons, while the Northern Midland Mountainous region (30,000 hectares) and North Central region (13,000 hectares) also contribute significantly. The provinces with the largest pomelo-growing areas in Vietnam include Ben Tre (8,824 hectares), Vinh Long (8,619 hectares), and Dong Nai (5,426 hectares)…

What’s noteworthy is the diversity of Vietnam’s pomelo varieties, each with unique characteristics and flavors representative of their respective regions. Notable pomelo varieties include the green-skinned pomelo, Nam Roi pomelo, and Tan Triu pomelo…

Vietnamese fresh pomelos have been exported to 13 countries and territories. In late 2022, this fruit officially obtained the “visa” for official export to the US and New Zealand markets.

Regarding the South Korean market, the Plant Protection Department said that for Vietnamese fresh pomelos to be exported to South Korea, growing areas must be registered with the Department annually. The Department will manage and supervise the exporting growing areas to ensure that the pest species of concern to South Korea remain at low density through surveillance and pest control activities.

Plant protection officers will conduct bi-weekly surveillance in the export orchards for the pests Prays endocarpa and Citripestis sagittiferella from the flowering period until the end of harvest, and control measures will be implemented if these pests are found on more than 4% of the inspected trees.

If the pests Prays Endocarpa and Citripestis sagittiferella are continuously detected at infection rates higher than the permitted limit, or if chemical control measures are not taken, the exporting region will be suspended from exporting to South Korea for the remainder of the crop season.

Packaging facilities that sort and pack fresh pomelos for export to South Korea must also register with the Plant Protection Department annually and maintain good hygiene and inspection practices.

Harvested fruit boxes must be labeled with the origin of the registered growing area. Export inspections will be conducted by plant quarantine officers from both South Korea and Vietnam, covering 2% of the total number of cartons or 600 fruits per batch.