A 3.9 million USD project funded by the Japanese government started this month to help citrus fruit growers in the Mekong Delta region improve their farming system and cultivation techniques.

The project provides technical assistance and experience in the planting of citrus fruit trees to farmers in the five Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Ben Tre, said the Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI)’s Director Nguyen Minh Chau.

As part of the six-year project, a number of nurseries, model farms and farming promotion networks will be set up in these provinces.

The Mekong Delta region currently has more than 73,000 ha of citrus fruit trees, making up 27.4 percent of its total 282,000 ha of fruit trees./.