Joining cooperatives helps durian farmers in Dong Thap stabilize their output.

Authorities in Dong Thap province are encouraging durian farmers to switch to organic farming, focus on concentrated production, and participate in cooperative models to standardize processes, improve fruit quality, and aim for official export.

Many farmers in Dong Thap province have switched to organic durian farming.

In recent years, the area under durian cultivation in Dong Thap has increased rapidly due to farmers spontaneously switching crops, leading to small-scale production with each orchard having its own process. This results in inconsistent fruit quality, volatile prices, and unstable output.

Farmer Tran Thanh Son (Phu Huu commune) said that durian prices have varied greatly, sometimes reaching 180,000 VND/kg but at other times dropping to 20,000 VND/kg. The reason is that each household applies different techniques, from flower induction to fertilization and pesticide application, resulting in products that do not meet common standards.

According to recommendations from the agricultural sector, farmers should concentrate production in specific growing areas or join cooperatives to ensure standardized processes, control risks, and meet export requirements.

Mr. Son said that since joining the Phu Huu Durian Cooperative, his entire 2.2 hectares of durian trees have been converted to organic farming, resulting in more porous soil, uniform fruit size, and stable export sales to businesses. The cooperative currently has 35 members with over 200 hectares, mostly producing organic fruit, and is aiming for VietGAP and GlobalGAP certifications, while also building the Phu Huu durian brand.

Durian fruits are treated to ensure uniform size.

Mr. Le Phuoc, a member of Binh Hang Tay Cooperative, said that the cooperative buys and sells materials collectively according to a safety list, helping to reduce production costs; at the same time, it gathers enough production to fill export containers, so the selling price is higher.

Mr. Huynh Xuan Tong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Binh Hang Tay Cooperative, emphasized that the cooperative is strongly shifting towards organic farming practices and standardizing its growing areas, while also expanding its domestic and international sales linkages.

Mr. Tran Van Thanh (Phu Huong Association) suggested that specialized agencies should inform farmers about the list of fertilizers and pesticides that may contain banned substances such as Camdimi, Yellow O, etc.; and at the same time, require packaging companies to test for residues before purchasing to promptly warn farmers.

Currently, more than 60 members of the association are producing according to VietGAP standards, resulting in high-quality products with higher selling prices and more stable outlets.

Businesses inspect and sort durian for export.

Mr. Tran Thanh Tam, Head of the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Dong Thap province, said that the province currently has 35,000 hectares of durian, of which nearly 19,000 hectares are bearing fruit. The province has been granted 350 planting area codes and 111 packaging facility codes for export to China.

Authorities are continuing to guide cooperatives, organizations, and individuals in registering new planting area codes, maintaining monitoring of planting areas and packaging facilities to meet increasingly stringent procurement and export requirements.

According to sggp.org.vn

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/tham-gia-hop-tac-xa-giup-nong-dan-trong-sau-rieng-dong-thap-on-dinh-dau-ra-a233986.html