Speaking to Tuoi Tre after the Korean Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) officially announced that Vietnamese grapefruit could be officially exported to this country, Mr. Nguyen Quang Hieu, deputy director of the Plant Protection Department, said that this is the third fresh fruit from Vietnam to be imported into Korea, after dragon fruit and mango.

According to Mr. Hieu, with a population of 50 million, South Korea is a very potential market for Vietnamese grapefruit because in recent years this country has tended to increase its fresh fruit imports. Moreover, Vietnam has the advantage of having grapefruit all year round, with a large output, while other countries have a small output so there is nothing to export. South Korea's opening is an opportunity for us to boost the export of Vietnamese grapefruit.

"Businesses wishing to export grapefruit to the Korean market must register with the Plant Protection Department. The Plant Protection Department will invite the Korean side to inspect the growing areas and packaging facilities before exporting," said Mr. Hieu.

According to Mr. Hieu, the Korean side requires growing areas, packaging facilities and steam treatment facilities for fresh Vietnamese grapefruit to register with the Plant Protection Department for management and supervision.

"In the request for plant quarantine of grapefruit before export, the Korean side requires treatment with hot steam.

Your side requires that the steam heat treatment be carried out by increasing the fruit core temperature to 47°C or higher and the treatment time to 20 minutes, or by increasing the fruit core temperature to 46.5°C or higher and the treatment time to 40 minutes (relative humidity above 90%).

This treatment will be supervised by Korean and Vietnamese plant quarantine officers," said Mr. Hieu.

In addition, you also care and require that grapefruit must not be infected with 20 species of harmful organisms, especially 6 species (Bactrocera carambolae, Bactrocera correcta, Bactrocera cucurbitae, Bactrocera dorsalis, Prays endocarpa, Citripestis sagittiferella).

In the first half of this year, fruit and vegetable exports to the Korean market reached 164 million USD, up 55% over the same period last year.

The whole country has about 105,400 hectares of grapefruit, with an output of nearly 905,000 tons. The largest area is in the Mekong Delta with 32,000 hectares, followed by the Northern midlands and mountainous areas (30,000 hectares) and the North Central region (13,000 hectares).

Before Korea, some major markets such as the United States, New Zealand... also licensed fresh Vietnamese grapefruit. Currently, Vietnamese grapefruit is officially exported to 13 countries and territories. It is expected that in 2025, Australia will also open its doors to Vietnamese grapefruit.