Vietnam Grants Market Access for California Peaches, Nectarines
July 18, 2024 Vietnam has granted market access for California peaches and nectarine effective immediately, according to USDA.
Eliminating the phytosanitary barriers keeping California peaches and nectarines out of the Vietnamese market required multiple rounds of technical negotiations over the course of several years, the government agency reports.
“This market access is a big win for California’s nectarine and peach producers,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, says. “Our APHIS trade team members have worked diligently to make this opened market a reality for Vietnam’s citizens. We are thrilled they will now have access to the fine peach and nectarine fruit that California produces.”
The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) would like to extend its appreciation to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Agricultural Research Service’s negotiators and experts, the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture, and the Fresno County and Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner offices for their invaluable contributions to this process.
“This is a fantastic example of USDA scientists providing the quality and objective research that was essential for Vietnam’s approval and for future U.S. industry exports,” Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, says. “This new international market access underscores the critical value of federal scientific research and data to the overall food supply system.”
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There will be strict production and packing protocols in place, but given the enduring success of existing export programs, California stone fruit shippers have already demonstrated a commitment to meeting Vietnam’s requirements.
“The California stone fruit industry identified Vietnam as a strategic export market because Vietnamese consumers value high quality and sweet fruit. Naturally, the varieties California growers have invested in over the years will be popular there. Access to this market is something our industry has been working towards for a significant amount of time, so we are looking forward to introducing the best stone fruit in the world to a new group of consumers” Caroline Stringer, CFFA Director of Trade, says.
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