Safety standards maximise profits for fruit farmers

Fruit farms in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong are using advanced farming techniques, including Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practices (VietGAP) to produce safe fruit, earning high profits.

Nguyen Ngoc Trung's 60-ha durian farm in Gia Nghia town's Dak Nia commune, for instance, has met VietGAP standards since 2013.

The harvest time of durian in the Central Highlands region is later than in the south so farmers are not worried about an oversupply in the harvest season.

Dak Nong's soil and weather are suitable for growing durian and mangosteen as well.
Tran Quang Dong, who has 8ha of mangosteen orchard in Dak Nia commune, said traders and customers prefer the mangosteen for its high quality. Mangosteens planted in the province are large, beautiful and delicious, he added.

Dong has also planted avocados and oranges in his orchard.

Nguyen Van Xa, Vice Chairman of the provincial Farmers Association, said: "Many farms in the province have invested in advanced techniques to increase fruit quality," earning 10 billion VND (470,000 USD) a year.

The association plans to work with government agencies and local authorities to develop agriculture cooperatives to develop fruit brand names.

Many farmers intercrop fruit trees in coffee gardens to increase income, according to the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The province has 935 farms, including 877 cultivation farms and 58 animal farms. The farms have an average annual income of 1.1 billion VND (52,000 USD). They cover about 7,000ha and have created jobs for about 13,000 locals.

Dinh Gia Thuy, head of the province's Rural Development Sub-department, said the farms have been able to use barren lands, especially in rural and remote areas.

The farms have also created jobs in rural areas, helping people reduce poverty.-VNA