Mr. Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), said that Japan's authorization for Vietnam to supervise the disinfection treatment process of lychee exports to the Japanese market creates favorable conditions to increase lychee exports to Japan, reduce time and costs; and at the same time could set a similar precedent for other fruit products.

Mr. Hoang Trung, Director of the Plant Protection Department

In this year's lychee harvest and consumption season, instead of sending Japanese experts to Vietnam, Japan officially authorized the phytosanitary agencies of Vietnam to supervise the entire sterilization treatment process of lychee exports to Japan. What do you think of this move?

Under the direction of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to promote the lychee exports to the Japanese market, the Plant Protection Department has been very proactive and cooperative with the phytosanitary agencies of Japan as well as the counselor of Japan in Viet Nam.

Through many negotiations, Vietnam is making efforts to let Japan continue to open the door for other Vietnamese fruits such as longan. At the same time, with the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, Japan will authorize Vietnamese phytosanitary experts to replace the Japanese phytosanitary experts, directly handling and disinfecting the batch of lychee exports to Japan.

Japan has officially agreed to allow the phytosanitary agencies of Vietnam to supervise the entire process of disinfection and treatment of lychee exports per regulations set forth by the two sides during the negotiation process.

How does the Plant Protection Department prepare to facilitate the monitoring of lychee exports to Japan?

To do this, Vietnamese phytosanitary experts must firmly grasp Japanese regulations to meet their requirements.

The lychee shipments exported to Japan must ensure the eradication of all plant quarantine objects that Japan cares about. Besides, localities such as Hai Duong and Bac Giang are also very proactive, not only instructing farmers to fully meet the requirements in the process of planting, caring for, and preventing pests and diseases given by Japan, but also creates conditions for businesses to complete lychee processing facilities.

Currently, Hai Duong province has four lychee processing facilities, Bac Giang has two facilities. Through the process of inspection and evaluation, the Plant Protection Department found that all facilities met the technical requirements of Japan. In the future, the Department will send phytosanitary experts to supervise on the spot, after processing will issue certificates, seal, transfer to the airport for export to the Japanese market.

According to the plan, the Phytosanitary Sub-department of Region 5 will be in charge of Bac Giang province, and the Phytosanitary Sub-Department of Region 1 will be in charge of Hai Duong province. The Plant Protection Department requires the Sub-Departments to ensure sufficient resources, whenever an export enterprise needs a phytosanitary officer on duty day and night.

How will Japan's authorization for Vietnam to supervise the disinfection treatment of lychee exports to Japan open up advantages for this year's exports? Is this a premise to expand the method to other exported fruits?

Actively monitoring the process of disinfecting lychee exports will help lychee exported to Japan ensure compliance with regulations and more quantity; thereby greatly reducing the time and costs of exporting.

Enterprises are very excited to register for a plan to export lychee to Japan with a significant increase in quantity compared to 2020. This shows a very positive market signal.

More importantly, through the transfer of the entire process of monitoring and disinfecting lychee treatment by Japan to Vietnam, it has confirmed the phytosanitary capacity of Vietnamese phytosanitary officers. This is the premise so that not only this year but also in following years Vietnam does not have to depend on Japanese phytosanitary experts, and at the same time can open up similar opportunities for some other fruits.

Thank you!