Tien Giang develops dragon fruit growing area for export

Tien Giang (VNA) –  The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, the country's largest fruit production region, has built a 7,400-ha dragon fruit growing area for export in Cho Giao district, according to  Secretary of Cho Giao district’s Party Committee Ngo Huu The.

This is the largest specialised dragon fruit area in Tien Giang province, which is expected to produce 188,000 tonnes of products per year.

Dragon fruit, one of the province’s key specialty fruits, has competitive advantages and can adapt to climate change.

The district’s dragon fruit was awarded a collective brand name “Thanh long Cho Gao” (Cho Gao dragon fruit) by the National Office of Intellectual Property. This product has been exported to many markets, including the EU and the US.

To better the quality of its products, affirm the brand name of Cho Gao dragon fruit as well as promote competitiveness of the product in markets, the district authority is speeding transfer of agricultural technology and encouraging local farmers to growth the fruit under Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards, and in line with regulations on food safety, origin traceability, and environmental protection.

Last year, the locality granted VietGAP certificates for 1,118ha of dragon fruit in 14 communes and key dragon fruit growing areas of the district, taking the district’s total VietGAP dragon fruit area to 2,184 ha, up 9.2 percent of the target set for last year, and equivalent to 29.5 percent of the total area in the district.

In 2021, it plans to have an additional 500ha of dragon fruit granted VietGAP certificates, taking the district’s total VietGAP area to 2,684 ha by the end of this year.

The district will continue efforts to promote the transfer of cultivation technique to further improve the quality of the fruit, while forming more dragon fruit growing cooperatives and implementing cooperation projects in producing and consuming the product.

It aims to provide VietGAP standard farming techniques to about 1,800 farmers this year, and strengthen linkages between farmers and buyers.

Cho Gao district is home to nearly 9,400ha of various types of fruits, including dragon fruit, and green-skin and pink-flesh grapefruit./.