SA oranges to reach Vietnam market soon

With the South African citrus export season about to ramp up, a new bilateral protocol has been established with the Vietnamese government that will see local oranges in markets in Vietnam.

The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) and the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) recently announced this new development.

Justin Chadwick, CEO of CGA, said the opening of the Vietnamese market offered an export potential of 15 000t of oranges annually, which he said would translate into more local job opportunities and revenue generation.

According to a joint statement by DALRRD and CGA, the historic protocol comes almost a decade after a change in Vietnamese import regulations necessitated a new protocol.

The department and the CGA, since that time, have worked together to ensure local citrus growers would benefit from increased market access.

Their collaborative efforts were boosted by extensive technical work undertaken by Citrus Research International, a subsidiary of the CGA.

“Opening new export opportunities to drive export-led inclusive growth of the agriculture sector is part of the department’s strategy and commitment to support farmers,” the statement said.

Agriculture Minister Thoko Didiza reaffirmed this position in 2023 when she addressed the CGA’s Citrus Summit, encouraging industry players to work with the department to expedite greater market access for citrus in the East.

Phytosanitary protocols have since been agreed on by Vietnam and South Africa and a recent final adjustment was the removal of two pests from the official pest list.

According to the statement, a new cold treatment protocol was set out in the phytosanitary import requirements document by the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam.

“The opening of the Vietnam market is a major win for the citrus industry, especially considering that the South African citrus industry has the potential to increase its exports from 165 million cartons to 260 million cartons (one carton is equivalent to 15kg) in the next eight years if all role players work together as envisioned in the Agriculture and Agro-processing Master Plan.

“[The department] and the CGA wish to express their gratitude to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam.

“Supplying South African oranges to Vietnam is in the interest of both the Vietnamese consumer and the South African citrus grower,” the statement concluded.