Vietnam lifts ban on import of groundnut from India

Vietnam has formally lifted the ban on import of Indian groundnut, thereby providing market access after nine months, the Agriculture Ministry said today.

The country had suspended import of Indian groundnuts from April 6, due to interception of quarantine pests — Caryedon serratus and Trogodrma granarium — in consignments exported since January, 2015.

"The Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) have formally communicated the decision to the Indian Government stating that Plant Protection Department of Vietnam (PPD) will issue import permits for groundnuts for January 18th 2016," the ministry said in a statement.

The lifting of ban comes in the wake of the visit of a delegation from Vietnam to India in December, which was satisfied after seeing the fumigation facilities, export procedures and export certification system for export of groundnuts from India, as per the Standard Operating Procedure developed by the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage, Faridabad, it said.

In order to resolve this problem, India forwarded to Vietnman all technical information for finalising the Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) of the groundnut bruchid (Caryedon serratus Olivier), detailed report on investigation and remedial measures taken along with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and action taken in the matter, it added.