GlobalGAP certified dragon fruit farm

Thang's GlobalGAP dragon fruit farm — Thang's Global GAP certified dragon fruit farm (photo by Kieu Hang)

In recent years, the area planted with dragon fruit in the province has tended to decrease, from over 30,000 hectares to 25,800 hectares. This is due to many households proactively switching to other crops because of the fluctuating price of dragon fruit. Meanwhile, Mr. Thang's farm is expanding production and he doesn't worry about the market for his product. Currently, the dragon fruit in his orchard is ripening, hanging heavily on the branches. The entire farm is equipped with a sprinkler irrigation system and a drip irrigation system for each plant.

The farm owner shared: "This type of dragon fruit weighs only 250-400 grams and is supplied to the European market through an export company in Ho Chi Minh City. Accordingly, the guaranteed purchase price throughout the year is 18,000 VND/kg for white-fleshed dragon fruit and 30,000 VND/kg for red-fleshed dragon fruit. At this price, with a total current production of 1,500-2,000 tons/year, after deducting investment costs, the farmers can earn a profit of 40-50% (10-12 billion VND/year). This is also the 'key' for Mr. Thang's family and other GlobalGAP-certified dragon fruit producers in the area to stay committed and confidently produce clean, sustainable products."

However, Mr. Thang said that to secure this price, growers must consistently perform well in production according to the very strict GlobalGAP standards, meeting the requirements of customers worldwide...

It's easy to see and understand the scale of this large farm, which was established in 2010. Mr. Thang himself is an agricultural engineer by profession, deeply passionate about dragon fruit cultivation. He stated that the farm currently employs 130 local workers. They are guided to adhere to cultivation procedures and change their production mindset. In particular, there are strict requirements for monitoring and inspecting for fungal diseases and promptly treating infected branches, such as brown spot and anthracnose, to prevent widespread outbreaks.

On the other hand, it is necessary to ensure the "four correct principles": the right pesticide, at the right time, at the right concentration and dosage, and in the right way. In particular, dragon fruit orchards need to be fertilized entirely with organic microbial fertilizers, and no fruit should be removed to achieve the smaller weight required by the European market. Currently, the farm owner uses electric lighting three times a year (alternating phases), achieving a yield of approximately 40 tons/ha, while conventionally produced dragon fruit orchards only achieve 25-30 tons/ha. Notably, from 2012 to the present, Mr. Thang has linked and led dozens of local dragon fruit farmers to produce according to GlobalGAP standards on about 150 hectares (guaranteed product purchase). This has helped farmers feel secure in their production and stabilize their income.

Looking at the GlobalGAP-certified dragon fruit farm of Mr. Tran Quoc Thang, one can see the inevitable trend of clean production. Sustainable agricultural development requires farmers to shift their mindset towards clean production, linkages, and product consumption. This is also a requirement for the agricultural sector nationwide in general and Lam Dong province in particular, for the sustainable development of the province's agriculture.

GlobalGAP production is a set of technical measures on good agricultural practices developed for voluntary application to the production, harvesting, and post-harvest handling of agricultural products globally. There are 252 criteria in the GlobalGAP standard. Currently, Lam Dong province has approximately 453 hectares of dragon fruit certified under GlobalGAP.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/trang-trai-thanh-long-globalgap-382330.html