A Binh Duong-based company has successfully inked a contract to supply blue dragon fruits for several supermarket chains in the US.

Vuong Dinh Khoat, director of the An Phu Irradiation JSC (API), said this was the first time blue dragon was sold directly to American supermarkets.

Since 2008, Vietnamese blue dragon had been exported to the US, but only to the Vietnamese and Chinese supermarkets there.

Khoat said API would cooperate with its American partner to further promote the fruit to American consumers.

“Vietnam’s blue dragon exports will continue to rise in the coming time thanks to their presence at the American supermarkets,” Khoat said.

However, blue dragon exports to the US are also facing difficulties due to the controversial regulation concerning the fungicide residue limit in fruits stipulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“FDA does not set a specific limit for the fungicide residue, and local exporters thus have to face high risks since they do not know whether or not their shipment can pass customs clearance,” said the director of a Ho Chi Minh City-based fruit exporting company.

According to the Plant Protection Agency under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the country’s blue dragon exports to the US last year were around 1,500 tons.

Source: Tuoi Tre