What was the measure taken to regulate the import of dragon fruits in major importing countries?

In March 2020, Customs officials in Nanning, Guangxi province, detected three distinct pathogens for the first time while testing samples of dragon fruit imported from Vietnam. The dragon fruit samples tested positive for pitaya stem canker disease (Neoscytalidium dimidiatum) and Bipolaris cactivora, both of which primarily affect dragon fruit, diminishing its appearance, and making it more susceptible to rot. The situation with Vietnam’s dragon fruit exports to China may be even bleaker. Since China strengthened its testing standards for agricultural products, numerous shipments of Vietnamese dragon fruit have been rejected at ports of entry. In response to this problem, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set out to increase the quality of the country’s dragon fruit by accelerating the mechanization of production and establishing a complete production chain. Now that the epidemic in China appears to be gradually drawing to a close, customs procedures at ports of entry are beginning to return to normal. While doing everything to control the spread of the virus, customs officials at Friendship Pass, a checkpoint on the China–Vietnam border, have been working vigorously to restore cross-border activities. Since the outbreak, however, China has raised its testing standards for agricultural imports, thereby presenting a new and substantial challenge for Vietnamese fruit exporters. Increasing fruit quality has now become a leading priority for this sector.

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Vietnamese Watermelon and Dragon Fruit Exports Face New Challenges