VietNamNet Bridge – It is estimated that some 1000 tons of
fruit is imported from China to Vietnam every day across the Tan Thanh border
gate.
The Plant Protection Agency under
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), has stated that it
has found the preservative residues in the Chinese fruit samples (2 samples of
grapes, one pomegranate, one plum) exceeding by 3-5 times than the allowed
levels.
The warnings given repeatedly in
recent days about the safety of Chinese food have prompted Vietnamese people to
turn their backs to Chinese goods.
However, Nguoi lao dong newspaper
has reported that despite the information, the Than Thanh border gate in Lang
Son province, considered the biggest fruit import locality, still puts hundreds
of trucks of fruits through every day.
Groups of trucks carrying fruits
are seen following one another crossing the border to the customs station to
make customs declaration. The large area of Tan Thanh border gate is always
full of big trucks with farm produce.
Nguyen Van Chuong, head of the
Tan Thanh border gate’s customs agency, said under the current regulations,
fruits bear the import tariff of zero percent. Therefore, Chinese fruit imports
have been going to Vietnam through the official channel, while in the past,
they were smuggled into Vietnam.
Also according to Chuong, some 40
containers and big trucks of fruits, carrying some 1000 tons of fruits, goes
through the Vietnamese border.
Under the current laws, all the
farm produce, including fruits, must have quarantined at the Tan Thanh plant quarantine
station, before the goods owners can follow procedures to import the products
to Vietnam.
However, Nguyen Quang Bach from
the Tan Thanh Customs Agency said that in many cases, the quality of the
products is uncontrollable. These are mainly the products traded by Vietnamese
and Chinese merchants through “verbal contracts,” not the imports under
commercial contracts.
Be Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Tan
Thanh plant quarantine station, said that the station has the duty of taking
samples of the imports for testing. Most recently, it discovered the
preservative residues at very high level at a Chinese plum sample.
The Plant Protection Agency has
asked its branches to tighten the control over plum imports and told to examine
30 percent of the imports. Officials have also said they would keep a stricter
control over potatoes and some other kinds of fruits with latent risks.
According to Hien, 42 tons of
fresh plum has been imported to Vietnam since early September.
Nguyen Thi Ha from the Plant
Quarantine Sub-department Zone VII, has noted that in general, fruits at the
wrong time have very high plant protection chemical residues and have higher
safety risks than the fruits of the main crop.
Ha said that it is now the main
crops of apples, pear, oranges and yellow melons; therefore, the preservatives
residues may be lower than other kinds of fruits.
Meanwhile, plums were harvested
in April and May already, now being preserved in cold storage. Therefore, the
plant protection chemical residues are believed to be higher. Ha has advised
people not to eat the fruits, or face high risks of being unsafe.
The information about the toxic
chemicals in Chinese food and about the big imports of Chinese goods to Vietnam
has annoyed Vietnamese people.
A reader has sent a letter to
Nguoi lao dong editorial board, writing that he cannot understand why state
agencies advise people not to eat Chinese fruits, but the products still come
in big quantities to Vietnam without taxation.
Thu Uyen
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