Ngo Tuong Vy, deputy director of fruit exporting company Chanh Thu based in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, said she has not been able to send a single consignment in the last 20 days since the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has withdrawn its personnel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The farmers are harvesting the dragon fruits.

She was referring to the fact that they went home when the outbreak began and have not been able to return since.

"American experts have not been able to travel to Vietnam due to the limited number of flights, and therefore all exports of fruits must be suspended," Vy said.

If the delay continues, she could lose the U.S. market to other countries since supermarkets there could seek alternative suppliers, she said.

Other exporters feared the situation could persist until the end of the year.

Vietnamese authorities have said they are working on the issue. Nguyen Quang Hieu, head of the Plant Protection Department’s international cooperation and communications department, said paperwork is being done to bring the experts to Vietnam, and it would be done when a suitable flight is available.

But U.S. authorities do not want the experts to share a flight with Vietnamese students returning home due to fear of contagion, and expect quarantine facilities for them in Vietnam to meet U.S. standards, he said.

Exporters said they are temporarily shifting their focus on other markets such as Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

Vietnam exports six fruits to the U.S.: dragon fruit, rambutan, longan, lychee, star apple, and mango.

Its fruit and vegetable exports to that country in the first seven months fell 0.2 percent year-on-year to $957 million, according to Vietnam Customs.

Son La exports 10 tonnes of red dragon fruit to Russia

Thuan Chau district in the northern province of Son La held a ceremony on July 23 to export 10 tonnes of red dragon fruit to the Russian market.

Vietnamese fruits reach out to the world

The application of technology, the promotion of production linkages, and the establishment of farming area codes for exports have helped improve the quality and value of Vietnamese fruits as they gradually penetrate demanding markets across the world. Fruit trees are becoming key crops in many localities in Vietnam, generating about hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong in income per ha per year.

Tan Yen guava - delicious fruit in four seasons

(BGO) – Going through the green guava orchards on the fields running along the hillsides, adorned with the white color of the styrofoam covering the fruits, the sweltering June heat seems to ease. Although it was planted in Tan Yen district (Bac Giang province) not long ago, the Taiwanese guava variety has quickly taken root, greening this land and producing sweet fruits all the four seasons of the year.

Expanding production area of certified fruits

In recent days, Luc Ngan lychee in the northern province of Bac Giang have been continuously exported to Japan by air.

Lychee farmers enjoy the fruits of their labour

Farmers in Luc Ngan district in the northern province of Bac Giang are at their busiest during lychee season. Join us to find out more about their juicy trade. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Luc Ngan has still received numerous orders to ship lychee abroad. Luc Ngan district is expected to harvest 85,000 tonnes of lychee this year. Alongside the domestic market, China, the US, Japan and Singapore are export destinations.

Source: VnExpress