First Vietnamese passionfruit set sail for European shores

The recently signed EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) is already bearing fruit, with Vietnam dispatching its first shipment of passionfruit to Europe. As Nhan Dan Online reports, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced on 16 September alongside exporter Dong Giao Foodstuff Export Joint Stock Company that 100 tons of passionfruit were on their way to the Netherlands.

At a ceremony organised to celebrate the achievement, Vietnam’s deputy minister of agriculture and rural development, Le Quoc Doanh, praised Dong Giao for its work as part of Vietnam’s efforts to boost passionfruit exports, which have increased 300% in the past five years. The minister said that Vietnam’s access to markets such as Europe, which have strict quality and quarantine protocols, should enable the country to secure access to other major world markets.