Enhancing the value of Nam Roi grapefruit

Not willing to accept the situation of "good harvest, low price", Ms. Ngo Thi Yen Lil, residing in Hoa Loi hamlet, An Lac Thon commune, Can Tho city, has found many ways to "revive" the value of Nam Roi grapefruit. From the peel, segments to the grapefruit pulp, she has processed them into many delicious products, opening up a sustainable direction for local agricultural products.

Ms. Ngo Thi Yen Lil with 2 products of grapefruit peel jam and naturally fermented grapefruit juice meeting 3-star OCOP standards.

Born in the countryside of Vinh Long, then married into An Lac Thon commune, Can Tho city, a specialized area for growing Nam Roi grapefruit. Many times witnessing grapefruit having a good harvest but low price or having a good price but bad harvest, she always wondered how to maximize the value of grapefruit.

After a period of research and study, in 2023, Ms. Lil established Ut Minh Production Facility, supplying the market with 3 main products: grapefruit wine, grapefruit peel jam and naturally fermented grapefruit juice. Of which, grapefruit peel jam and naturally fermented grapefruit juice both achieved 3-star OCOP certification.

To get 1kg of finished grapefruit peel jam, Ms. Lil uses up to 3.5kg of fresh grapefruit and goes through many stages from selecting the fruit, preparing, cooking the jam, drying in the sun... For fermented grapefruit juice, there must be 10kg of raw grapefruit, after 180 days of fermentation and filtration, only about 3 liters of product can be obtained.

During peak season, her facility consumes nearly 100kg of grapefruit per day from people in the surrounding area, contributing to a stable agricultural output for farmers. Thanks to effective operations, the average monthly revenue of the facility reaches 70-80 million VND, creating jobs for 15-20 local workers, mainly women, with an income of 250,000-300,000 VND/day.

Mr. Ha Thanh Binh, Deputy Head of the Economic Department, An Lac Thon Commune People's Committee, said: "Ut Minh production facility has solved the output for Nam Roi grapefruit, making the most of grapefruit by-products. The locality will have a support orientation for the model to develop further, and at the same time replicate it to other production households. This is also a way for An Lac Thon agriculture to gradually shift to a green, circular and sustainable direction."

Article and photos: THANH TAM

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/nang-cao-gia-tri-trai-buoi-nam-roi-a192910.html