Viet Nam will export white-flesh dragon fruit to Taiwan from June 1. — Photo vietdragonfruit.com

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Taiwan will again import the white-flesh dragon fruit from Viet Nam as of June 1 after eight years of suspension, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Plant Protection Department said.

This was decided after a long negotiation to remove technical barriers on plant quarantine between the Plant Protection Department and its Taiwanese counterpart, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ).

In March 2009, Viet Nam's dragon fruit export to Taiwan was completely suspended as it and eight other countries including Thailand, the Philippines, India, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were infected with melon fly disease. It was said that the flies that ate guava could inhabit the fruit and enter Taiwan.

At that time, Viet Nam exported around 10,000 tonnes of dragon fruits to Taiwan annually.

This is good news for domestic dragon fruit growers and businesses as well because Taiwan is seen as a potential market for the fruit.

The department said that the two sides had agreed on regulations for the import as well as standard of the fruit. Taiwan required the fruit to be sterilised with hot stream before being exported.

Taiwanese experts will come to Viet Nam and co-operate with the country's plant quarantine experts to supervise the sterilisation process.

In 2015, Viet Nam shipped one million tonnes of dragon fruit abroad. — VNS