Protocol signing for fresh jackfruit marks key milestone

“This signing ceremony demonstrates the close political and commercial cooperation between Vietnam and China, guided by high-level leadership and the determined involvement of specialized agencies. The official export of Vietnamese fresh jackfruit to China shows that our agricultural products are increasingly meeting the quality and standards required by importing markets, with China being a particularly promising destination,” said Huynh Tan Dat on November 27.

Dat believes that having another agricultural product officially approved for export to China will encourage Vietnamese farmers and the agricultural sector to further enhance technical practices, especially those related to quarantine, food safety, and traceability.

Commenting on the outcomes of the meeting between Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Dat noted that cooperation between the two sides has grown increasingly close, with both governments emphasizing strengthened coordination from production to trade and consumption.

During the meeting, Vietnam’s Minister of Agriculture and Environment put forward 11 priority issues aimed at boosting agricultural exports to China, to which the GACC responded with corresponding solutions.

Both sides also discussed measures to address technical obstacles in agricultural trade, seeking to further promote Vietnamese exports to the Chinese market.

Vietnam has been standardizing production processes, developing supply chains from farm to port, and improving product reputation to meet China’s increasingly stringent requirements. As a result, agricultural exports to China have grown strongly. China currently accounts for roughly 65% of Vietnam’s agricultural export market.

However, Dat acknowledged that China is tightening its standards for quarantine, origin, and quality of imported agricultural goods, which has contributed to recent declines in the export value of some Vietnamese products.

He said the Department is working with relevant agencies to implement a series of measures, including strengthening awareness and adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), tightening control of production inputs, reinforcing inspection and supervision systems throughout production and export stages, and promoting stronger linkages among businesses, local authorities, and farmers to ensure traceability and risk management.

For durian, Vietnam has already applied several technical solutions, such as recommending specialized products to reduce cadmium residue, providing guidance on appropriate fertilizer use, and promoting crop-rotation models.

Dat concluded that the signing of the fresh jackfruit export protocol marks an important step forward, reflecting the deepening cooperation between Vietnam and China in agricultural trade. Despite remaining challenges, Vietnam is pursuing comprehensive measures to enhance quality, safety, and traceability, with the goal of further expanding its agricultural exports to China.

China has long been Vietnam’s largest agricultural export market, accounting for roughly 65% of Vietnam’s total fruit and vegetable export value. Over the past five years, the two countries have moved from mainly border-gate trading to a system based on official exports, requiring formal protocols for each type of fresh fruit. Before the signing of the fresh jackfruit protocol, Vietnam had 13 fruits officially allowed for export to China. These include dragon fruit, rambutan, longan, lychee, mango, banana, mangosteen, watermelon, jackfruit, durian, passion fruit (under a pilot mechanism accepted by GACC), sweet potato, and fresh chili pepper. Each item is governed by its own protocol defining pest-risk management, post-harvest handling, permitted pesticides, hygiene conditions, and quarantine procedures. Other agricultural goods such as bird’s nest, black jelly, etc… is also couted in the export lists.

China’s import system requires Vietnamese fruits to comply with several mandatory conditions. Planting areas and packing facilities must be registered with GACC, assigned official codes, and monitored regularly by Vietnamese authorities. Products entering China must be free of regulated pests listed in each protocol, handled in approved facilities, and accompanied by phytosanitary certificates issued by Vietnam. Cold-treatment procedures, maximum residue limits, and hygiene conditions are also specified for certain fruits.

In recent years, China has implemented stricter controls related to food safety, origin verification, and digital traceability. Imported fruits must carry labels showing planting-area codes, packing-facility codes, and information enabling recall or inspection when required. GACC conducts periodic audits of Vietnamese growing regions, packing houses, and quality-control systems to ensure compliance. Non-conforming shipments may be suspended or returned.

Vietnam has expanded its growing areas, packing-house capacity, and post-harvest infrastructure to meet these requirements, especially for high-value crops such as durian, mango, and banana. Provinces in the Mekong Delta, Southeast, and Northern midlands have increased training for farmers on pesticide management, harvesting standards, and disease control to maintain market access to China.