Successful first pilot export of mango to Australia using SOPs: Confidently sailing the sea

Australia's demand for mangoes as the mango season has passed has brought many export opportunities for off-season producing countries to Australia. However, mangoes exported from Vietnam incur expensive costs when using air freight or preservation technology is not enough to meet the long shipping time by sea.

A successful pilot demonstration supported by the Vietnam Global Quality and Standards Program (GQSP) using the SOPs approach has opened up new Australian market opportunities for manufacturers and mango export in Vietnam. After being transported by sea, mangoes are taken to wholesale markets and directly to retail stores.

For this shipment from Vina T&T Company, all fruits have been treated with latex according to the SOP method. The exporter used hot water and post-harvest fungicides under UNIDO technical advice, according to the cooling SOP. Although the shipment arrived later than expected, mangoes had a 3.3% rate of latex burn, lower than the common rate of 30% for shipments exported by traditional methods. This is an excellent result showing that latex treatment according to SOP has had a significant impact on quality. Additionally, the shipment did not contain any rotten fruit. A good overview of the whole lot demonstrates that the application of hot water treatment and post-harvest fungicides has been commercially successful.

Photo 1 Shipment arrives at port in Australia

“The shipment was successful and there were no pests. The results are absolutely amazing. Although a refrigeration issue arose, we will be able to resolve this issue in upcoming shipments by reviewing the system. Colleagues from the import company in Australia are very satisfied with the shipment… This is a good opportunity. ” - Peter Johnson, UNIDO value chain technical expert working with Vina T&T for the show.

Photo 2 Mango arrived in good condition with green skin and maintained its crispness throughout the journey

The development of six Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for mango is an important outcome for the Global Quality and Standards Program in Vietnam, addressing key issues and constraints in the existing mango export chain . With international experts and Vietnamese experts working closely with stakeholders in the mango value chain, the process of developing SOPs also contributes to capacity building for local agencies and organizations.

Going forward, the project will continue to replicate the success of this demonstration for other mango exporters, developing the necessary business and technical skills for SMEs to meet the higher compliance requirements of high-value markets such as Australia.