The announcement of the export of Vietnam's first batch of pomelos to the US (Photo: baophapluat.vn)

Ben Tre province has the most developed green-skinned pomelo model in the Mekong Delta. It has 10,000 hectares of green-skinned pomelos, with an output of 200,000 tons per year, centered in Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre city, and Giong Trom district.

Ben Tre pomelos have been granted by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam a geographical indication and 25 cultivation area codes for export to the European Union and US. The US market has accepted 11 cultivation area codes for nearly 170 hectares of land that output more than 3,100 tons per year.

The export of pomelos to the US is the result of great efforts by agencies and farms to meet the food safety and hygiene standards set by importers.

Ben Tre green-skinned pomelos (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)

Ngo Tuong Vy, Director of the Chanh Thu Fruit Import and Export Group, said: “Our farms and packaging facilities have followed recommendations from the US, whose technical requirements for the control of harmful organisms are very strict. We have trained our farmers and adjusted our farming scale. The US has certified the level of pestice residues and quality control at our packing facilities.”

The Ben Tre green-skinned Pomelo Agricultural Cooperative will expand its coded growing areas from 20 to 40 hectares and establish mechanisms and procedures to monitor production, control product quality, and trace product origin.

Tran Thanh Nam, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at the announcement of Vietnam's first batch of pomelos to the US that the Ministry will continue to negotiate with countries like New Zealand, China, and South Korea approval to export more Vietnamese agricultural products.