Developing close links between stakeholders involved in fruitproduction and consumption is one of the measures required tosustainably develop fruit production in the Cuu Long (Mekong) RiverDelta, a forum heard last week.
The delta, which has conduciveclimatic and soil conditions for fruits, has more than 466ha of orchardsthat yield 4.6 million tonnes of fruits annually, accounting for 62percent of the country's total output, according to the NationalAgriculture Extension Centre.
The region has in recent yearsdeveloped zones for growing specialty fruits like Hoa Loc Mango in DongThap, dragon fruit in Tien Giang province, Nam Roi pomelo in Vinh Long,and green skin pomelo in Ben Tre, ensuring a stable source for localconsumption and exports and significantly improving farmers' incomes,Phan Huy Thong, the centre's director, said.
But fruit productionand distribution in the region still face many problems, with farmersoften hit by falling prices in case of bumper crops, delegates said.
Besides,the small scale and scattered nature of farming, huge post-harvestlosses, inconsistent quality, unreliable outlets, diseases, and lack oftie-ups with businesses threaten sustainable development, they said.
Thesmall scale of production precludes mechanisation and the region isunable to supply large quantities with similar size, colour and qualityfor exports, they said.
According to the Southern Fruit ResearchInstitute, 90 percent of the region's fruit output is consumed in thedomestic market, with only the rest exported, mainly to China.
Othermarkets like the US, EU and Japan have approved import of a fewVietnamese fruits like dragon fruit, pomelo, banana and rambutan.
These market have a large demand and offer higher prices, but also have strict hygiene and food safety requirements, it said.
Tosustainably develop fruit farming, each province should restructureproduction and link up production and consumption, delegates agreed.
Localagricultural extension centres should ensure farmers use goodagricultural practice (GAP) standards to add value to their fruits andenable exports to choosy markets, they said.
Proper planting techniques should be adopted to control diseases, they said.
NguyenVan Hoa, director of the Southern Fruit Research Institute, saidtraining is needed for human resources, especially those who analysefruit production and demand.
Global fruit demand is expected tocontinue rising in the coming years, giving the region an opportunity toboost exports, he said.
The forum, organised by the NationalAgriculture Extension Centre on May 31, saw nearly 500 policymakers,scientists, business executives, and farmers from the delta take part.-VNA
The delta, which has conduciveclimatic and soil conditions for fruits, has more than 466ha of orchardsthat yield 4.6 million tonnes of fruits annually, accounting for 62percent of the country's total output, according to the NationalAgriculture Extension Centre.
The region has in recent yearsdeveloped zones for growing specialty fruits like Hoa Loc Mango in DongThap, dragon fruit in Tien Giang province, Nam Roi pomelo in Vinh Long,and green skin pomelo in Ben Tre, ensuring a stable source for localconsumption and exports and significantly improving farmers' incomes,Phan Huy Thong, the centre's director, said.
But fruit productionand distribution in the region still face many problems, with farmersoften hit by falling prices in case of bumper crops, delegates said.
Besides,the small scale and scattered nature of farming, huge post-harvestlosses, inconsistent quality, unreliable outlets, diseases, and lack oftie-ups with businesses threaten sustainable development, they said.
Thesmall scale of production precludes mechanisation and the region isunable to supply large quantities with similar size, colour and qualityfor exports, they said.
According to the Southern Fruit ResearchInstitute, 90 percent of the region's fruit output is consumed in thedomestic market, with only the rest exported, mainly to China.
Othermarkets like the US, EU and Japan have approved import of a fewVietnamese fruits like dragon fruit, pomelo, banana and rambutan.
These market have a large demand and offer higher prices, but also have strict hygiene and food safety requirements, it said.
Tosustainably develop fruit farming, each province should restructureproduction and link up production and consumption, delegates agreed.
Localagricultural extension centres should ensure farmers use goodagricultural practice (GAP) standards to add value to their fruits andenable exports to choosy markets, they said.
Proper planting techniques should be adopted to control diseases, they said.
NguyenVan Hoa, director of the Southern Fruit Research Institute, saidtraining is needed for human resources, especially those who analysefruit production and demand.
Global fruit demand is expected tocontinue rising in the coming years, giving the region an opportunity toboost exports, he said.
The forum, organised by the NationalAgriculture Extension Centre on May 31, saw nearly 500 policymakers,scientists, business executives, and farmers from the delta take part.-VNA
