Following the Prime Minister's urgent directives to address the obstacles faced by businesses exporting dragon fruit and black pepper to Europe, Associate Professor Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Authority (FSA), announced yesterday that export documentation had been processed for five fruit and vegetable exporters under special provisions.

A significant shift in the oversight of exported plant food safety inspections is underway following the promulgation of Circular No. 12/2025/TT-BNNMT. This new circular on the decentralization and delegation of authority in crop production and plant protection, officially transfers the authority for state food safety inspections of exported plants to chairpersons of people’s committees in cities and provinces.

Under these new regulations, local governments are now directly responsible for delegating these crucial inspection tasks to their respective specialized agencies. This move aims to streamline processes and enhance efficiency in ensuring the safety of agricultural products destined for international markets.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the process of issuing new procedures is still ongoing. In the meantime, following the directive from the city's People’s Committee, the food safety watchdog has quickly assisted fruit and agricultural product exporters in filing formal requests. These requests included comprehensive descriptions of the current challenges faced in acquiring export certificates for the European market, along with the submission of all pertinent documents to the FSA. Once received, the FSA reviewed the applications and forwarded them to the city's People’s Committee for approval.

Source: SGGP