Passion fruits have become the fifth kind of Vietnamese fruits to be officially exported to Australia (Photo: VNA)

On September 9, the Plant Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam held a ceremony to announce the export of Vietnamese passion fruits to Australia and the import of Australian plums into Vietnam.

Huynh Tan Dat, Director of the Plant Protection Department, underlined that Vietnam has great potential and advantages in tropical fruits. Currently, Vietnamese fruits are available in over 60 countries and territories. Specifically, passion fruits have been exported to 20 countries in various forms such as fresh, frozen, and juice.

The area of passion fruit in Vietnam is currently over 12,000 hectares and is expanding, mostly in the northern mountainous region. Many provinces in the Central Highlands are also expanding the cultivation area of this fruit.

In recent years, Vietnam has concentrated on improving passion fruit quality by promoting chain production and ensuring traceability for the product, focusing on two varieties of yellow passion fruit and purple passion fruit.

In the coming time, the Plant Protection Department will guide farmers and localities to promote production following the requirements of importing countries and further enhance the advantages of passion fruit products.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski said that Vietnam and Australia have enjoyed fruitful partnership in trading agricultural products, including fruits. Many high-quality fruits from one country have appeared in the market of the other, the diplomat noted, attributing the results to mutual trust and joint efforts.

Highly evaluating Vietnamese passion fruit, Goledzinowski described it as a very delicious fruit.

In the near future, both countries will continue to finalise the last steps to bring Vietnamese grapefruits and Australian blueberries to each other's markets, he added./.