The Australian Department of Agriculture has approved theimportation of fresh lychees from Vietnam, reported the Australian presson May 12.
The Australian ABC network said twelve years since it first applied, Vietnam can now export fresh lychees to Australia.
The Department of Agriculture has approved the importation ofirradiation treated lychees and will inform Australian importers ofthe decision.
The announcement comes just in timefor Vietnam's 2015 lychee harvest, which will commence in the next fewweeks and last until the middle of July.
Consignments of Vietnamese lychees are permitted to be air or sea freighted to Australia and must be inspected on arrival.
The Vietnamese government is hoping this will be the first of manytropical fruit export options, including mangoes and dragon fruits.
Head of Australia's Lychee Growers Association Derek Foley fromElectra, Queensland, said he is not worried about Vietnamese importscompeting with local fruit.
"We're not against theimport of lychees, it won't clash with our season, which is Christmas(time)," Foley was quoted by ABC as saying that "Australian lycheegrowers would like to see good quality lychees coming into Australia."
Australia's lychee industry is w orth 20 millionUSD annually; the industry exports irradiated fruit to New Zealand andhas recently been granted access to the United States.-VNA
The Australian ABC network said twelve years since it first applied, Vietnam can now export fresh lychees to Australia.
The Department of Agriculture has approved the importation ofirradiation treated lychees and will inform Australian importers ofthe decision.
The announcement comes just in timefor Vietnam's 2015 lychee harvest, which will commence in the next fewweeks and last until the middle of July.
Consignments of Vietnamese lychees are permitted to be air or sea freighted to Australia and must be inspected on arrival.
The Vietnamese government is hoping this will be the first of manytropical fruit export options, including mangoes and dragon fruits.
Head of Australia's Lychee Growers Association Derek Foley fromElectra, Queensland, said he is not worried about Vietnamese importscompeting with local fruit.
"We're not against theimport of lychees, it won't clash with our season, which is Christmas(time)," Foley was quoted by ABC as saying that "Australian lycheegrowers would like to see good quality lychees coming into Australia."
Australia's lychee industry is w orth 20 millionUSD annually; the industry exports irradiated fruit to New Zealand andhas recently been granted access to the United States.-VNA
