Processing dried plums, reducing pressure on fresh fruit consumption

At this time, plums in Moc Chau are ripe. Farmers are facing many difficulties when plum prices are low. To reduce the pressure on fresh fruit consumption during the main season, cooperatives and production facilities in Moc Chau town have increased processing capacity, diversified quality products to extend the preservation time and increase the value of plums.

Processing dried plums at Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative, Moc Chau town.

Every season, thousands of tons of plums are harvested simultaneously and poured into wholesale markets and supermarkets. Abundant supply while the demand for fresh fruit is limited has pushed plum prices down. Plums ripen quickly, are easily crushed, and are difficult to preserve for a long time, which is also a major obstacle. Faced with these challenges, in recent years, many establishments and businesses in the town have started production lines and processed dried plum products.

Processing plums at the Agricultural Development Service Cooperative 19/5.

Present at the 19/5 Agricultural Development Service Cooperative, these days, workers are producing plum products such as: Ginger dried plums, honey dried plums, herbal dried plums. Ripe plums are carefully selected, seeded, cleaned with ozone technology and put into a preliminary processing process according to a specific regulation to help the plums not ferment, retaining nutrients. Plums are dried and marinated with ginger, honey or herbs to create products with different flavors, sweet and fragrant, chewy, beautifully packaged, clear information, creating peace of mind for consumers.

Honey-dried plum products of Agricultural Development Service Cooperative 19/5.

Mr. Mai Duc Thinh, Director of the 19/5 Agricultural Development Service Cooperative, said: The Cooperative currently has a fruit processing facility with an area of ​​4,000 m2 equipped with modern machinery and equipment to process products that meet 4-star OCOP standards, including: Honey-dried plums, ginger-dried plums, herbal-dried plums from plums. Since May 31, the Cooperative has promoted the operation of the plum product processing workshop; on average, the Cooperative purchases 10 tons of plums per day at an average price of 5,000-8,000 VND/kg. Thereby, contributing to creating a stable output for plum growers.

Processing plums at Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative.

At this time, Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative, Moc Chau town is also focusing on human resources to process dried plum products. With a modern drying system, using Korean and Japanese technology to process quality dried fruit products, the Cooperative always follows a strict process, from cleaning, preliminary processing, adding sugar and mixing evenly; drying in a closed system; the drying process is monitored by a temperature sensor, ensuring cleanliness and safety.

Ms. Luong Thi Thanh, Deputy Director of Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative, informed: Currently, the Cooperative purchases 2 tons of plums every day to produce dried plums. With the drying process of the Cooperative, the dried plum products retain their delicious flavor and beautiful appearance without losing the nutritional content and vitamins in fresh fruit. The dried plum products are packaged and preserved in beautiful, quality, durable and safe packaging, with clear address, production time and traceability.

Dried plum products of Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative

At Chau Moc Agricultural Tourism Service Business Cooperative, with the implementation of a project to preserve fresh plums using MAP technology (a technology that uses specialized preservation films to preserve food and exported fruits) without the use of preservatives, the Cooperative has invested in a cold storage system of about 100 m2, with a capacity of over 30 tons of plums. By preserving fresh plums using MAP technology, the preservation time of fresh plums is extended to 3 months, giving customers the experience of enjoying delicious fresh plums after the plum season. Along with that, the Cooperative currently has a modern dryer system with cold drying technology to help plums retain their color, freshness and nutrition, which is very popular with customers.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Trung, a member of Chau Moc Agricultural Tourism Service Business Cooperative, shared: It is expected that this year's plum crop, the Cooperative will purchase 200 tons of plums for production. Modern drying technology helps Moc Chau dried plums retain their natural color, sweet and sour taste and characteristic aroma of dried plums. Unlike fresh plums, dried plums can be used all year round, becoming a convenient and nutritious snack, suitable for all ages.

Processing dried plums at Quyet Thanh Agricultural Cooperative.

To attract more households and cooperatives to participate in fruit processing activities, Moc Chau town is coordinating to promote and advertise product brands; support production machinery, packaging, and labels to trace the origin of products. From there, it helps people and cooperatives have conditions to access and supply the market with the best products, contributing to promoting and maintaining the brand of products processed from Moc Chau plums.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/che-bien-man-say-deo-giam-ap-luc-tieu-thu-qua-tuoi-D5cB0MYHR.html