Watermelons have become Vietnam’s sixth agricultural product to be officially exported to China following a protocol signed recently between the two sides, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

The protocol on plant quarantine for fresh watermelons exported from Vietnam to China was signed on December 13 on the occasion of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping’s State visit to Vietnam.

Under the protocol, the fresh watermelons must abide by related regulations and laws on food hygiene and safety and plant quarantine from China.

All planting areas and packaging facilities for the watermelons must be registered, which must then be approved by both MARD and the General Administration of Customs of China.

Farms growing watermelons are required to strictly apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), while the monitoring of planting and packaging at packaging facilities is also needed.

Packaging facilities must build a system to ensure traceability to planting areas granted codes.

Watermelons from Vietnam can be exported via all border gates with China that are permitted to do so by the General Administration of Customs of China. Two per cent of samples from each batch will be taken to plant quarantine to ensure products meet China’s national food safety standards.

Vietnam had 14 agricultural products being officially exported to China as of December 14, including watermelons, bird’s nest, sweet potatoes, dragon fruit, longans, rambutans, mangoes, jackfruit, bananas, mangosteens, lychees, passionfruit, and durian together with black jelly.