Inspections of fruit and vegetable producers will be conducted throughout the country in an effort to meet the European Union's regulations on plant quarantine and food safety, according to a message from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cao Duc Phat.

The ministry wanted its Plant Protection Department to boost its dissemination work and issue guidelines to localities and exporters to ensure their products qualified for export to the EU.

The department will co-ordinate with the country's International Cooperation Department and the EU's authorised agency to solve any problems that arise concerning exports to the EU.

The examination was tightened after several batches of Vietnamese fruit and vegetables were recently reported to have contained a micro-organism that violated the EU's regulations on food safety and plant quarantine.

Chairmen of people's committees and relevant sectors in 63 cities and provinces were instructed to zone and develop fruit and vegetable growing areas in line with the Global Agricultural Organisation, a non-profit body which provides support to the agricultural community on an international level.

Customs clearance will be issued when the exporters are able to show plant quarantine certificates for their products, said Phat. /.