Low quality watermelon/muskmelon disallowed exporting to China

The low quality watermelon and muskmelon are not allowed to export to China, according to the Muse 105th-mile fruit trade zone.
Regarding the export of Myanmar melon to China, it is taking about 20 days from harvest to sale time. Consequently, the fruits have perished.
This is the reason, the traders from the Muse 105th-mile fruit trade zone informed melon growers on 16 December that the quality of the fruits should be checked before those are exported to China due to the restriction of the Chinese Health Department.
Besides, the commodity depot urged the fruit truck drivers to bring the COVID-19 Vaccination certificate together with them to transport fruit trucks faster.
“Due to the current delays on the Chinese side, only good quality fruits are loaded on the trucks before entering to China due to high transport cost. Of 1,100 watermelons on the Myanmar trucks, only about 230 fruits are high quality and required by Chinese traders. Therefore, about five tucks of Myanmar fruits can get only one truck in Chinese trucks after choosing the good quality one. The price of the fruit also fetched only 20 per cent of the market prevailing price. The fruit growers are urged to convey the fruits by hearing the last dates, not by the price of the fruit,” said U Sai Khin Maung of the Khwanyo Fruit Depot.
As a result, some of the first 26 trucks entered the Chinese market on 9 December and four watermelon trucks were sold for 90,000 yuan.
If the watermelons are of better quality, they will get a better price than the prevailing price, U Sai Khin Maung clarified.
Nevertheless, the watermelons are conveyed to China step by step during the COVID-19 period and the trucks will take more time for waiting of new Customs regulation, the Khwanyo Trading Depot stated. Traders cannot expect trade facilitation according to the changes in China’s policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. If the restrictions are eased and negotiation goes smooth, the trade will go back to normality.
The Kyinsankyawt border post between Myanmar and China, which was earlier suspended for the COVID-19 pandemic, has been reopened starting from 26 November on a trial run. — NN/GNLM