U.S. opens market for Vietnamese coconuts
VGP - The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture has announced the immediate opening of husked coconut imports from Viet Nam.
Viet Nam is home to 200,000 hectares of coconut plantations, yielding approximately 2 million tons - Illustration photo
The agency finalized online database update on Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) to approve the import of Vietnamese coconuts.
Accordingly, a minimum of 75 percent (3/4) of the coir of Vietnamese coconuts have to be removed and the outer green shell completely extracted.
The outcome of APHIS’s evaluation assessed that the Vietnamese husked coconut satisfies the processing criteria established by the U.S. and presents a negligible risk of spreading plant pests.
According to APHIS, Vietnamese producers are eligible to commence the export of husked coconuts to the U.S. immediately.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that Viet Nam is home to 200,000 hectares of coconut plantations, yielding approximately 2 million tons.
The main cultivation areas are concentrated in the coastal provinces of Central Viet Nam and the Mekong Delta.
The Southeast Asian nation ranks 7th globally in coconut production.
In August, the General Administration of Customs of China will conduct on-site inspections of coconut plantations and packaging facilities in Viet Nam, which have legitimate export demands. This will serve as the basis for a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
Last year, Viet Nam earned around US$ 900 million by exporting coconuts abroad.
Hence, the overseas shipment to the U.S. market and the promising access in China are likely to help Viet Nam materialize the billion-dollar milestone dream in the coming time./.
