A delegation of Japanese experts arrived in Vietnam on June 3 to supervise the quarantining of fresh lychee expected to be exported to Japan shortly, according to the Plant Protection Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Representatives of the department and the People’s Committee of northern Bac Giang province - the largest lychee producer nationwide - welcomed the guests.

Responsible for addressing technical barriers to open the door for fresh Vietnamese lychee to be exported to Japan, the department sent a document to the Ministry of Industry and Trade on the same day informing it about shipments of the fruit.

It has worked with the plant quarantine agency at Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) since 2017 to pilot a number of disinfection measures, which will be used as a basis for technical discussions and negotiations on import conditions.

MAFF agreed with MARD regarding conditions for lychee shipments on December 15, 2019.