The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has announced that the United States and Australia have given the green light to import Thai pomelos and cooked ducks, respectively. These significant breakthroughs come after years of negotiations and are expected to open up new avenues for Thai agricultural exports.
Agriculture Department Director-General Rapeepat Chantarasriwong revealed that the U.S. has approved the import of irradiated fresh pomelos from Thailand for the first time and without any restrictions on strains. This marks the eighth Thai fruit to receive U.S. import approval, following the successful endorsements of Thai mango, mangosteen, rambutan, longan, lychee, pineapple and dragon fruit.
Rapeepat added that the initial delivery of Thai pomelos to the U.S. is expected to take place next month via air transport.
To meet the US import requirements, Thai pomelos must adhere to Good Agricultural Practice and Good Manufacturing Practices standards. Thailand currently exports fresh pomelos to 30 countries, with China and Malaysia serving as primary markets. In 2022, Thailand exported approximately 1 million tonnes of pomelos valued at about 45 million baht.
Meanwhile, Prayoon Insakul, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed that Australia agreed to import cooked ducks from Thailand. The approval from Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry came into effect on May 16. (NNT)
