Vietnamese passionfruit imports are permitted by China as approval for durian nears

China has approved the import of Vietnamese passion fruit through two overland border crossings under a pilot scheme, according to Vietnamese media reports citing a government official. The same official, Le Van Thiet, deputy director of the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, also said that the bilateral protocols for the export of Vietnamese durians to China are almost complete, with the possibility that the first shipment may take place this year. Historically, most of the global cultivation and export of passion fruit has been concentrated in South America. However, Vietnam’s passion fruit production and export value have increased by more than 300% over the past five years, launching Vietnam into fourth place among passion fruit exporters, trailing only Brazil, Peru and Ecuador. Passion fruit are also now among Vietnam’s most important export fruit crops. Output is expected to reach 135,000 tons this year, mostly from Gia ...