First shipment of irradiated fresh fruit from Vietnam to New Zealand

The first consignments of fresh fruit (seedless lemons) from Vietnam were shipped to New Zealand in June 2023 after having been irradiated by Toan Phat Irradiation Co., Ltd., a member of Toan Phat Group. Seedless lemon farming has been thriving in the southern province of Long An, replacing ineffective sugarcane farming.

The Toan Phat Group (TPG) was established in 2017 with the project of establishing in the Mekong Delta (Phu An Thanh Industrial Park – Ben Luc – Long An) a logistic hub combining irradiation, storage, and transport. In addition to a gamma irradiator and an accelerator, a refrigerated warehouse with a capacity of 12,000 tons has now been built.

The irradiation facilities of TPG have been approved for phytosanitary treatment by USDA-APHIS and by the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture in 2022. Work is in progress to itrradiate seedless lychees for the US.