Good Practice in SPS-related Technical Cooperation

Fruit Fly Vapour Heat Disinfestation for Vietnam fresh

fruit: an example of technical cooperation experiences with

JICA (2005-2008)

Dr. Nguyen Huu DatPEQ II, Plant Protection Department,

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Structure of Presentation

I. Introduction to project

II. Process of project implementation

III. Outcomes of the project

IV. Lessons learnt

I. Introduction

The reason why we selected the project

Practical demand for assistance

Project purpose

The reason why

Plant quarantine system and technical skills of Vietnam quarantine staff were not sufficiently developed to meet the challenges of international trade requirements.

Training needed to be able to access export markets.

Practical demand for assistance

VietNam requested the Government of Japan to provide technical assistance in fruit fly disinfestation of fresh fruit

A JICA-funded (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project was proposed

Project purpose

Vietnamese staff is capable of applying disinfestation technique of fruit flies that complies with international standard to improve Vietnamese dragon fruits’ access to international market.

Vietnamese staff trained to be capable of applying disinfestation technique of fruit flies that complies with international standard to improve access of Vietnamese dragon fruit to international market.

Leading to

Lift Japanese ban on imports of Vietnamese dragon fruit

Duration of Project 3 years: March 2005 until end of February 2008

Site of Project Post-Entry Quarantine Centre No. II under Plant Protection

Department (PPD) of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)

II. Process of project implementation

Hylocereus undatus

Hylocereus costaricensis

Selenicereus megalanthus

Dragon fruit

Identification of target commodity

B.dorsalis B.cucurbitae

B.correcta

Genus Bactrocera of family Tephritidae

Identification of target pests

Improvement of rearing methods for fruit flies based on previous project work (CARD)

Various machine performance tests conducted Experiments on how to avoid fruit injury Experiments to develop heat disinfestation treatment for dragon

fruit (e.g. hot water dipping tests, susceptibility tests, small and large scale mortality tests)

Data storage system developed and utilized

Series of experiments implemented

III. Outcomes of the Project

Evaluation team recognized project results as excellence. Project achieved its objectives – expect that the import

ban on Vietnamese dragon fruit to Japanese market will be lifted in December 2008

Availability of skilled staff Vietnamese staff continue to build on project success and

further develop capacity to meet the challenges ahead for market access.

Submission of technical report

Visit of Vietnamese officials to Japan in April 2008. Technical report for lifting the ban submitted to Japanese

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Mortality test Injury test

Small scale mortality test 　 Small scale injury test

Large scale mortality test Large scale injury test

Preparation of technical report

General evaluation by JICA and MAFF

Import ban on Vietnamese dragon fruit to Japan is expected to be lifted in December 2008

Public hearing (Collection of public opinions on lifting import ban of fruit)

Amendment of regulations

Commencement of Export　 　 (Dispatch of Japanese plant quarantine inspector)

Official meeting between two countries 　(Discussion on plant quarantine regulations)

Import ban expected to be lifted

Investment in commercial facility

Investment in commercial Vapor Heat Treatment (VHT) facility.

Expected to be fully operational by December 2008.

IV. Lessons to be learned

1. Government priority

2. Human resource development

3. Provision and management of equipment

4. Contribution of Vietnamese Government

5. Impact of the US Notification on Irradiation

6. Ways in which the impact of technical assistance can be maximized on trade performance

7. Lessons for other products and countries

8. Maintenance capabilities after end of project

9. Awareness raising

10. Difficulties and advantages

1. Government priority

Official meetings between our 2 countries were made by both high and mid level officials

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam requested the Government of Japan to provide technical assistance in fruit fly disinfestations on fresh fruit

2. Human resource development

Japanese experts provided on-site training for Vietnamese staff

12 persons trained in 2005 and 2006, and 8 persons trained in 2007-2008

Overseas training

3 Vietnamese lab analysts attended technical training in Okinawa, Japan in 2005, 2006 and 2007 (4 months)

Study tours

Two study tours to Japan for 6 Vietnamese managers to learn about Plant Quarantine Administration (2005 and 2006)

Commitment and performance of Vietnamese and Japanese counterparts.

Japanese scientists worked diligently and actively, and treated very expeditiously all potential problems during experiments and implementation.

Vietnamese staff quickly learnt all theories, techniques and practices taught by Japanese facilitators.

The importance of their duties

Modern machines and equipment provided

Value of US$891,551 (total project budget was US$2.3 m)

3. Provision and management of equipment

Transportation: many hard works

Transportation of imported equipments from the port to the Quarantine Centre (PEQC II)

Installation of machinery made by Sanchu Experts

Installation of machinery

Classification of every equipment

Equipment management

Studying how to select the correct method

Equipment management

Clean and maintain after use

Equipment management

Servicing generators regularly

Equipment management

4. Contribution of Vietnamese Government

FY2005 652,638,107 VND (41,228 USD)

FY2006 286,043,299 VND (17,894 USD)

FY2007 300,000,000 VND (18,653 USD)

Equipment for 8 labs

Operation of equipment

Upgrade existing electricity and water systems in 8 labs to accommodate new equipment

Laboratory refurbishment

Fruit supply

Supply of fruit in adequate condition for testing

Technical procedures followed so that fruit delivered to labs met requirements for injury and mortality tests

Generator establishment and activation

Recruitment of electricity technician for daily in-lab electric surveillance

Other logistic arrangements

5. Impact of the US Notification on Irradiation

Since July 2007, Vietnamese Plant Protection Department working with APHIS-USDA to advance pre-clearance programme for irradiated dragon fruit to United States market.

Several dragon fruit production areas approved to produce for United States market.

Traceability system (PUC) established for fruit exports to United States. Will also be used for Japanese and other markets.

6. Ways in which the impact of technical assistance can be maximized on trade

performance

Build on achievements of related technical assistance projects, and promote linkages

The dragon fruit pest list – developed under New Zealand project – used as main reference to draft the Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for APHIS.

The draft PRA for dragon fruit by APHIS-USDA was in turn used to determine the target pests for the JICA project research.

The fruit fly pest determination from the JICA project was used to discuss and agree with APHIS-USDA to finalize the quarantine fruit fly pest list and PRA for Vietnamese dragon fruit (2008).

7. Lessons for other products and countries

Using the equipment, facilities, knowledge developed under the JICA project, Vietnamese staff continue research to apply the same VHT method to other fruit (mango, milk apple) for Japanese market (2009-10).

The final technical report for VHT of dragon fruit submitted not only to Japan (April 2008) but also to Chinese Taipei (Sep. 2008) and New Zealand (planned in 2009).

Vietnamese staff provide training for plant quarantine inspectors in Cambodia on fruit fly rearing and VHT techniques (Oct. 2008) under a new JICA project.

8. Maintenance capabilities after end of project

Vietnamese staff continue to build on success and further develop capacity to meet the challenges ahead for market access by ourselves.

Project sustainability ensured through funding from annual governmental budget: over 700 million Vietnamese Dong (USD 45,000) allocated for fiscal year 2008 (budget support from JICA ended in Feb. 2008).

9. Awareness raising

Information exchange and dialogue with stakeholders

Private sector, university researchers, etc. participated in annual joint coordinating committee meetings held every year during project implementation.

Stakeholders participated in final project evaluation by JICA, MAFF, MARD.

Commercial interest and investment – expected to be completed at time when the ban is lifted by Japan.

10. Difficulties and advantages

Difficulties Differences in timing of Vietnamese and

Japanese fiscal years – administrative challenges.

Time to develop annual plans of project activities generally coincided with the end of Vietnamese fiscal year and the time when Vietnam counterparts had to draw up final financial balance-sheets.

Timely decision-making and support from MARD, Plant Protection Department and leadership from other related organization for solving problems when they occurred.

Planned experiments for each year were implemented smoothly as scheduled.

Advantages

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