Vietnamese ministry popularizes Chinese regulations on import watermelon

The Ministry of Industry and Trade hosted an international conference to popularize Chinese regulations on import watermelon in the central province of Quang Ngai on December 6.
 
A Chinese representative states at the conference (Photo: SGGP)
A Chinese representative states at the conference (Photo: SGGP)
The conference was attended by the ministry’s Department of Asian and African Markets and representatives from China’s Guangxi province.
In 2017, Quang Ngai province cultivates about 1,370 hectares of watermelon, up 265 hectares over last year. Average output reaches 40,783 tons and productivity hits 297.5 quintals a hectare. Still selling prices have reduced to only VND2,000-8,000 a kilogram. Pumper crop and low price drop situation has been occurring.
At the event, the Department of Asian and African Markets informed of agricultural cooperation potentials between Vietnam and China and between Vietnam and Guangxi, a large watermelon farming province in China.
In addition, it sufficiently supplied information about China’s regulations on quarantine and quality supervisions of import watermelon and consumption demand.
Statistics by the General Department of Vietnam Customs show that Vietnam exported 238,363 tons of watermelon to China with the turnover of US$106.32 million last year.
Meantime, China’s customs agency reported that Vietnamese watermelon accounts for 94 percent of the country’s import volume and 97 percent of value.
The situation of bumper crop and price drop has been because some Vietnamese businesses and households have transported watermelon and other farm produce to the northern border line with China for sale without contracts covering goods quality, payment methods and other terms.
The Department of Asian and African Markets has worked with Guangxi province’s agencies to solve problems in farm produce export import between the two countries.
Aside from that, it is working with Trade Promotion Department to publish a handbook for watermelon growers and businesses.
At the conference, representatives of businesses from China and Quang Ngai province signed a principle contract on watermelon purchase in 2018 and following years.

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