Taiwan will again import white-flesh dragon fruit from Vietnam as of June 1 after eight years of suspension, the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Plant Protection Department said.
This was decided after long negotiations to remove technical barriers on plant quarantine between the Plant Protection Department and its Taiwanese counterpart, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ).
In March 2009, Vietnam's dragon fruit exports to Taiwan was completely suspended as it and eight other countries including Thailand, the Philippines, India, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were infected with melon fly disease. It was said that the flies that ate guava could inhabit the fruit and enter Taiwan.
At that time, Vietnam exported around 10,000 tonnes of dragon fruits to Taiwan annually.
