India has temporarily suspended the entry of dragon fruit, coffee beans, bamboo and other imports from Vietnam with effect from March 7 due to a “repeated interception of quarantine pests”.

The decision comes close on the heels of Vietnam announcing that it would suspend import of peanuts, cassia seed, cocoa beans, haricot beans and tamarind from India after 60 days, starting March 1.

In a letter issued this week by the Agriculture Ministry to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Indian government said that "in view of the repeated interception of quarantine pests, the NPPO India is constrained to suspend the entry" of the commodities.

NPPO, Vietnam has been requested not to issue phyto-sanitary certificates for these six commodities for export to India.