Farmers and businesses excited about the opportunity to bring passion fruit to the US

Farmers of Xuan An Cooperative, Gia Lai , next to their garden growing the Dai Nong 1 Duc Dien passion fruit variety - Photo: TRAN HANG

Previously, during a working visit to the US in late August 2024 by a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , the two countries agreed to conclude technical discussions and move on to implementing legal procedures, allowing the import of Vietnamese passion fruit into the US market.

Opportunities from exporting fresh passion fruit

Given the volatile price of passion fruit and the unstable acreage, entering the US market is expected to revitalize the passion fruit industry.

Gia Lai province has the largest passion fruit growing area in the country, with nearly 5,500 hectares. However, in the 2024 crop year, the area decreased sharply compared to the previous year due to the deep drop in passion fruit prices.

Ms. Vo Thi Sam, a farmer from Ia Grai district (Gia Lai province), said that this year her family only planted 300 lemon trees, half the number compared to last year.

Farmers in the area are also tending to reduce their planted area, switching to growing coffee. Having grown passion fruit for over 5 years, Ms. Sam says the market price of this fruit is too volatile.

Passion fruit prices have at times reached 40,000 VND/kg, but have also dropped to 3,000 VND/kg. In the last harvest season, prices were as low as 7,000-8,000 VND/kg, causing farmers to abandon their orchards en masse.

According to Ms. Sam, to encourage growers to return to passion fruit cultivation, the selling price must remain stable at 13,000 - 15,000 VND/kg. Processing and exporting businesses must have commitments and contracts to guarantee the purchase of the farmers' produce.

Sharing her views on the prospects of exporting passion fruit to the US, Ms. Vo Tran Bich Hanh, director of SeSan Gia Lai Agricultural Company Limited, believes that farmers will benefit greatly if they can export fresh passion fruit.

As a business supplying passion fruit seedlings and processing products for export, Ms. Hanh said that the main market for passion fruit is currently China, but they mainly import processed passion fruit juice, with very little fresh fruit.

In the past crop season, farmers reduced the planted area, leading to a significant increase in the price of fresh fruit that meets European export standards, reaching 50,000 - 65,000 VND/kg.

According to Ms. Hanh, the current supply is insufficient for processing and exporting businesses because the planted area has decreased sharply compared to 2023, and factories are worried about a shortage of raw materials.

"When the US market opens, the predicted surge in passion fruit prices will encourage growers to return. But to meet export standards for the US or Europe, farmers must cultivate using the correct techniques, select high-quality seedlings with pest and disease resistance from reputable brands," this business shared.

What can you do to 'win big' with passion fruit?

In Vietnam, Quicornac is a leading enterprise in the processing and export of passion fruit, with a factory in Gia Lai province that has a capacity of 400 tons per day.

Mr. Luu Quoc Thanh, director of Quicornac Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that purple lemons are becoming increasingly popular with consumers worldwide due to their unique sourness and sweetness. This product is attracting significant interest from major markets such as Europe and China.

Passion fruit is grown extensively in many districts of Gia Lai province - Photo: TAN LUC

Quicornac currently exports passion fruit to 50 markets across Europe, Japan, China, and South America.

Observing the market, Mr. Thanh recognizes that the demand for passion fruit is increasing significantly in the 2024-2025 period, and farmers who focus their investment now could reap substantial profits. Currently, processing businesses have noted a shortage in supply, partly due to the low price of passion fruit in 2023, which led people to switch to growing coffee and durian.

"There was a time when farmers planted passion fruit indiscriminately, so the processing capacity couldn't keep up when the harvest season arrived, leading to price drops. But in the long run, exporting fresh passion fruit will open up great opportunities for farmers. We advise farmers to plant in staggered seasons, harvesting evenly throughout the year to sell at higher prices," Mr. Thanh said.

Passion fruit is grown according to market demand, with pre-ordered contracts.

According to the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Gia Lai province, the estimated area of ​​passion fruit cultivation in the province is nearly 5,500 hectares, with a production of approximately 172,000 tons. The agricultural sector aims to expand the passion fruit cultivation area to 30,000 hectares by 2030, making it a key fruit crop of the province.

For sustainable development, this agency recommends that people and businesses develop growing areas according to market demand, through advance contracts. They should also build and complete growing area documentation, ensuring compliance with technical barriers required by importing countries' markets.

At the same time, businesses are encouraged to invest in building processing, packaging, and storage facilities in growing areas to ensure quality that meets market demands; and to invest in deep processing to create products with high added value.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nong-dan-doanh-nghiep-hao-hung-truc-co-hoi-dua-chanh-leo-vao-my-20240919161623631.htm