U.S. moving to OK import of passion fruit from Vietnam

For the first time, consumers in the U.S. may be able to purchase passion fruit from Vietnam at their local grocer.

Negotiations between the US Department of Agriculture and the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture have been going well, reports Vietnam.net.

“The Vietnamese fruit has been exported to the European market for over a decade, therefore, it is not a significant challenge for Vietnamese enterprises to meet the standards of the US market,” said Ho Bao, director of Van Xuan Agri JSc in Dak Nong Province.

The two countries met on August 28 and agreed to move on to legal procedures to make the import possible, the Tridge reported.

If approved, $50 – $100 million in passion fruit would be imported annually from Vietnam to the U.S. Last year, Vietnam exported $222 million of the fruit worldwide. Opening up the U.S. market to growers would be significant for them.

Complicating matters is the requirement in the U.S. that the fruit be irradiated, thus increasing the cost significantly, according to Fresh Plaza. Passion fruit also has a short shelf life.

“The upcoming export of passion fruit to the US is encouraging news for farmers and businesses, as it will expand the market and increase export revenue for the fruit. If the issue of storage technology can be resolved, allowing passion fruit to be shipped to the US by sea and thus reducing shipping costs, its competitiveness will significantly improve,” Bao told thanhnien.vn.