Longan fruit from the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre have officially been authorised to enter the United States’ market.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an import permit for longan fruit grown in Tam Hiep commune, Binh Dai district after its strict inspections there.

The commune currently has 34ha of longan orchards that apply the VietGap model and meet the US’ import requirements, producing an average annual output of 12 tonnes per hectare.

It grows longan on more than 550ha in total, and is currently trying to meet its full potential by expanding the production model to more households in an effort to increase the amount of approved producers and receive more orders from exporters, a communal official said.

Vietnamese longan fruit were approved for export to the US on October 6, 2014. According to US regulations, the fruit must be grown in registered areas placed under supervision of the Plant Protection Department of Vietnam to ensure hygiene and safety standards are met.

Before the longan fruit, rambutan grown in Tien Long commune in Ben Tre province was also granted an import permit for the US market.-VNA