Hanoi (VNA) - According to Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Notification Authority and Enquiry Point (SPS Vietnam) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has officially released the “Final report on the biosecurity import requirements for fresh pomelo fruit from Vietnam.”
The report confirms that Vietnamese pomelo is eligible for import into Australia, provided it meets all pest control measures and phytosanitary procedures.
Immediately following this, the SPS Vietnam Office issued official dispatch to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to coordinate the next steps towards bringing Vietnamese fresh pomelo into the Australian market.
According to the plan, following the publication of the report, Australian authorities will carry out final verification procedures in Vietnam to ensure the country’s capacity to implement phytosanitary measures. Once complete, the official import conditions will be published on BICON – Australia’s plant import requirement database.
The “Final report on the biosecurity import requirements for fresh pomelo fruit from Vietnam” states that Australia has completed its risk assessment of the entire production, harvest, post-harvest treatment and transport process of pomelo from all commercial production areas in Vietnam.
To safeguard its local ecosystems and agriculture, Australia requires control measures such as Pest Free Area (PFA) certification for production zones, treatment by irradiation or Methyl bromide, and visual inspection prior to export. In the specific case of citrus canker, Australia applies a “Systems Approach,” involving a series of integrated measures from orchard management to post-harvest handling.
Beyond the technical aspects, Australia also sought feedback from seven domestic and international organisations and individuals before finalising the report. Updates to information on production, pest management and new data were all incorporated in the April 2025 version of the report.
It is worth noting that certain pests, such as red spider mites and mealybugs, are still listed as regional quarantine pests in Western Australia. Therefore, while pomelo is permitted for import into the country, additional requirements must be observed when transporting the product between states.
The completion of this report not only marks progress in the market access negotiation process, but also demonstrates the growing capacity of Vietnam’s crop production and plant protection sector in meeting international biosecurity standards.
Australia’s recognition of Vietnam’s compliance with biosecurity standards presents a significant opportunity for the pomelo industry. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the national pomelo cultivation area has doubled over the past five years, from 50,000 hectares in 2015 to over 100,000 hectares currently. Annual production is now close to one million tonnes, with the majority concentrated in the Mekong Delta, Red River Delta, and Northern Midlands and Mountainous Region.
Varieties such as Nam Roi, Green Peel (Da Xanh), Dien, and Tan Lac pomelos have already been exported to demanding markets such as the United States, EU, Canada and Japan. However, annual export volumes remain modest at around 5,000 tonnes, mainly due to limitations in post-harvest handling technology and techniques. Opening the Australian market is expected to provide new momentum for more sustainable development of Vietnamese pomelo in the coming years./.
