Frequently asked questions

Tissue-culture Cavendish (Grand Nain is the main clone in southern Vietnam; Williams also grown). TR4-tolerant clones are under trial — we describe them as 'tolerant', never 'immune'.

South-East Vietnam — Dong Nai province (about 21,000 ha, ~80% exported), Tay Ninh, Binh Duong — and the Central Highlands (Gia Lai, Dak Lak), plus Long An and Tien Giang. Every lot carries a registered growing-area code (PUC) and packing-house code (PHC).

Year-round. Main season September to May, peak after Lunar New Year (February–April); June–August supply is tighter and prices higher.

Three grades: Premium, Grade A and Grade B. Grade B is never labelled 'Premium'.

Finger length ≥ 18 cm, diameter 36–46 mm, skin defects ≤ 4 cm² per finger; 4/5/6 hands per carton. GlobalG.A.P. where the farm holds it. Typical buyers: wholesalers in the Middle East and Malaysia.

indicative Length ≥ 20 cm, diameter 39–46 mm, skin defects ≤ 2 cm² per finger, no scars, GlobalG.A.P. required. For supermarket programmes; final spec confirmed per order.

Codex CXS 205-1997: minimum finger length 14 cm, diameter 27 mm, hands/clusters of at least 4 fingers; tolerance 5% (Extra) / 10% (Class I, II). EU 1333/2011 additionally requires green, unripe fruit.

All green — colour stage 1 on the Von Loesecke scale. Harvest maturity is chosen by voyage length: stage 1 for voyages over 14 days (Middle East, EU), stage 2 for ≤ 14 days (Malaysia, China).

indicative 18–22 °Brix when fully ripe (colour stage 6–7). At shipping (green) only 2–5 °Brix because the fruit is still starch — this is normal for export bananas.

indicative Inspect on arrival; notify in writing within 48 hours after container opening with photos, the reefer temperature log and, where needed, an independent surveyor report. Each lot ships with its own quality file (pulp temperature photos, finger-size record, seal numbers, container setting printout, data logger).

13 kg net / 14 kg gross, 5-ply ventilated carton — the market-standard carton for Vietnamese bananas to the UAE. Variants on request: 13.5 kg (Korea/Japan), 7 kg, 3 kg premium pack.

Whole hands, 4/5/6 hands per carton ('size 4-5-6'), or clusters of 4–8 fingers on request, crowns outward, in a perforated polyethylene bag. Modified-atmosphere bags (Banavac type) available for long voyages at extra cost.

Loose-loaded: 1,540 cartons × 13 kg = 20,020 kg net — the standard lot for Vietnam–UAE banana shipments (multiples 3,080 / 4,620 / 6,160). Palletised: 20 pallets × 48 cartons = 960 cartons.

English label: product name, grade, net/gross weight, 'Product of Vietnam', lot code, packing date and a QR code to the product page; 'Packed by' with the packing-house code. Arabic sticker on request for UAE/Saudi buyers.

Yes, from one 40'RF container. Upload your artwork with the quote request; artwork is needed 10 days before packing.

13–14 °C set point (13.5–14 °C in practice). Below 13 °C bananas suffer chilling injury, so the container is pre-cooled and never set lower.

Relative humidity 90–95%, fresh-air exchange 10–60 m³/h (we usually set 25–40), dehumidification OFF, ethylene kept below 1 ppm in the cold room.

2–4 weeks at 14 °C in a normal reefer; 4–6 weeks in a controlled-atmosphere container (2–5% O₂, 2–5% CO₂). For routes over 20 days we recommend CA.

Pre-cooled within 10–12 hours after cutting; pulp temperature brought to 13–14 °C before stuffing; fruit is never left waiting for a container overnight.

indicative Subject to carrier schedule: Jebel Ali 13–18 days, Dammam 16–20, Jeddah 18–22, Port Klang 3–5, Singapore 2–3, Busan 8, Tokyo 8. Exact schedule is confirmed with the quotation.

indicative About 10–14 days from order confirmation (deposit received) to vessel departure, subject to vessel schedule and farm availability.

Yes: 100–150 ppm ethylene for 24–48 hours at 15–20 °C, RH 90–95%, CO₂ below 1%; fruit reaches colour stage 6–7 in 4–8 days depending on temperature. A ripening sheet is included with every first shipment.

Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Bill of Lading, Phytosanitary Certificate issued by Vietnam's Plant Protection Department, Certificate of Origin (CEPA form for the UAE), reefer setting record; English label with Arabic sticker on request. Residues kept within Codex/EU MRLs (0.01 ppm default where applicable). Saudi: SFDA random carton weighing and MEWA lot permit handled by the importer.

indicative Phytosanitary Certificate plus the importer's import permit (DOA/MAQIS); supermarkets often ask for HACCP or GlobalG.A.P. We confirm the current requirement with the authority before each first shipment.

indicative GlobalG.A.P. available from selected farms (confirmed per order), VietGAP, registered growing-area and packing-house codes. Certificates are listed in the product's Certificates section, never in the product name.

Documents ready: UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, China. On request: South Korea, Japan, EU.

No minimum — samples from one carton. Best pricing from one 40'RF container (1,540 cartons).

FOB Cat Lai (Ho Chi Minh City) as standard; CFR/CIF to your port on request — most Middle East buyers take CFR/CIF, so both appear on the same quotation. Prices in USD per 13 kg carton (USD/kg shown alongside).

First orders: 50% T/T deposit on Proforma Invoice confirmation, 50% against scanned shipping documents before release of the original B/L or telex release. Irrevocable L/C at sight accepted for regular buyers. No D/P, no open account.

Within 24 business hours. You receive the quotation by email and WhatsApp with an RFQ reference number; quotations are valid 7 days.

Seven items: product, grade, carton weight, number of containers (or cartons / tonnes — 1 × 40'RF = 1,540 cartons = 20 t), destination port, Incoterm (FOB/CFR/CIF) and preferred shipping week. Plus your company name, country and email/WhatsApp.

VIET FARM EXPORT COMPANY LIMITED, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — exporter of record on every document; fruit is sourced from registered farms and packing houses under our supervision.