State President Nguyen Minh Triet has called on the Southern Fruit Research Institute, located in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, to crossbreed more high quality strains to boost exports.

The State leader made the call during his visit to the institute on July 30, adding that research should be based on market demand.

“To meet all these targets, the institute should focus on human resource development and improve their staff skills to meet international standards for global integration,” he emphasised.

He sounded unsatisfied with trademark promotion efforts after pointing out that many domestically popular fruit trademarks failed to go overseas, citing Hoa Loc mangoes, Ri6 durian and Nam Roi pomeloes.

As a leading agency in researching, developing and conserving fruit strains typical to southern Vietnam, the Southern Fruit Research Institute has managed to crossbreed a number of disease-resistant and delicate fruit strains from both selected local and foreign strains.

It has also successfully set up models for growing fruit trees that meet food hygiene standards, with traceable Global Gap origins, and transferred them to farmers in various provinces for mass production./.