Vietnamese okra, along with other agricultural products, has been subjected to increased scrutiny by the European Union (EU) due to concerns over pesticide residue levels, as reported by the Vietnam Sanitary and Phytosanitary Authority (SPS Vietnam) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). Ngô Xuân Nam, Deputy Director of SPS, highlighted that okra is currently under a 50 percent inspection rate upon entry into the EU, a measure reflecting heightened regulatory vigilance.
This adjustment aligns with modifications to inspection rates for other Vietnamese exports, including durian at 10 percent, and both instant noodles and dragon fruit at 20 percent. The EU has indicated potential for further escalation in inspection requirements, particularly for dragon fruit, which may see an increase to 30 percent, and a provisional suspension on all okra imports, following reports of non-compliance with the bloc's pesticide residue standards.
Source: vietnamnews.vn