Vietnamese cut flowers to be exported to Australia again

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Plant Protection Department (PPD) has reached an agreement with the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources on the use of metsulfuron methyl for cut flowers exported to Australia instead of glyphosate, which has been banned in Vietnam since June 2021.

The Plant Protection Department (PPD) has coordinated with the Australian Embassy in Vietnam to hold a ceremony to announce a new phytosanitary measure for Vietnam’s cut flowers exported to Australia.

The metsulfuron methyl will be used to treat cut chrysanthemum sprouts before being exported to Australia from March 1.

Vice head of the PPD Nguyen Thi Thu Huong said that basically, chrysanthemum exports to Australia will not need import license of the country, but must be treated with metsulfuron methyl, 200g per kg, at a dose of 0.67g per liter.

After the resumption of Vietnam’s flower shipments to Australia, the sides will continue keeping watch on safety and effectiveness of metsulfuron methyl on the batches for the next six months, she added.

Australia has been among important traditional markets of Vietnamese flowers for 23 years. Vietnam ships nearly 30 million bunches of flowers and foliage to the Oceania nation each year, raking in 5.2 million USD