"Passport" for passion fruit

(GLO) - The signing of the protocol between Vietnam and China for the official export of passion fruit not only opens up great opportunities for Gia Lai's agricultural products to penetrate the market of over a billion people, but also gives this industry a "passport" to enter the large market.

The premise for brand positioning in the international market.

Gia Lai currently has approximately 5,450 hectares of passion fruit. The entire province has been granted 48 passion fruit growing area codes, creating an important foundation for participating in the official export market. Ms. Do Thi My Thom, Director of Hung Thom Gia Lai Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Mang Yang district), shared: “Being able to export officially to a large market like China will be a prerequisite for positioning the Gia Lai passion fruit brand in the international market.”

However, the challenge lies in quality control and reputation. Just a few shipments violating regulations regarding planting area codes or having pesticide residue levels exceeding standards could seriously impact this industry.”

The Hung Thom Gia Lai Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Mang Yang district) is collaborating with local farmers to cultivate approximately 300 hectares of passion fruit. Photo: TN

According to Ms. Thom, the price of passion fruit on the market is currently high. This is good news for producers. The cooperative is collaborating with farmers in the area to cultivate approximately 300 hectares of passion fruit, of which 85 hectares are grown according to GlobalGAP standards.

With its favorable climate, soil conditions, and farming expertise, Gia Lai has the opportunity to establish a new position for passion fruit on the export map. Once the official export channels are open, Gia Lai can develop long-term plans, expand the area of ​​standardized raw material production, build supply chain linkages, implement contract farming, ensure quality control, and enable traceability.

Market expansion opportunities

Mr. Nguyen Kim Anh, Head of the Agriculture and Environment Department of Dak Doa District, said: “The entire district has about 650-700 hectares of passion fruit, mainly planted on areas where coffee and pepper are being replanted. To meet export demands according to current market orientations, the Department has focused on creating mother plant gardens with good, stable seed sources; guiding people to produce organically to meet the increasingly stringent requirements of the market.”

In addition, establishing planting area codes and implementing traceability systems will facilitate the official export of this product by traders and businesses. In Dak Doa, passion fruit has already been recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

A model of passion fruit cultivation in a greenhouse by the 360 ​​High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative (Trang commune, Dak Doa district). Photo: TN

Ms. Le Thi Bao Tram, Director of the 360 ​​High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative (Trang commune, Dak Doa district), shared: “Understanding the demand for fresh passion fruit, the cooperative has applied the model of growing passion fruit in greenhouses. The benefits of growing passion fruit in greenhouses include controlling and maintaining stable temperature and ideal humidity for plant growth, protecting the plants from the impact of harsh weather outside, and limiting the invasion of harmful pests and diseases.”

At the same time, it helps growers easily monitor and handle problems when they arise, thereby increasing productivity and product quality. When passion fruit plants are grown in greenhouses, the harvesting period is also extended, allowing for harvesting for up to two years and year-round.”

According to Ms. Tram, the yield of passion fruit grown in greenhouses is approximately 80 tons/hectare/year. However, further research indicates that the model can achieve even higher yields. Therefore, the cooperative will continue to research techniques and apply technology to optimize production in the future.

Passion fruit varieties and products of Thong Do International Joint Stock Company (Chu Puh district). Photo: TN

In 2022, the Intellectual Property Office ( Ministry of Science and Technology ) granted a certificate of registration for the certification mark "Gia Lai Passion Fruit". This is an extremely important factor for the province's passion fruit industry, helping to affirm the quality and unique origin of the product, serving as a stepping stone to standardize the raw material area, manage the value chain, and enhance the value of this crop.

Speaking with reporters, Mr. Doan Ngoc Co, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: "Passion fruit is one of the four crops that the province has planned to include in the group of key export crops, and at the same time, it aims to develop approximately 10,000 hectares."

In recent years, the Department, in coordination with localities, businesses, and cooperatives, has focused on building planting area codes and packaging facility codes, implementing many solutions to strictly control input seeds and agricultural materials, applying science and technology to production, and promoting production according to VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards.

"Production aligned with market demand will give the passion fruit industry a chance to develop, making good use of the potential advantages of vast agricultural land, and increasing income for the people."

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/ve-thong-hanh-cho-mat-hang-chanh-day-post320352.html