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Unmethodical export prevent Vietnam’s fruits from reaching out to the world
Developing big enough fruit material growing areas, and organizing production in accordance with clean production that meets GlobalGAP and VietGap standards are the things Mekong Delta need to do to promote fruit export.
The total orchard area in Mekong Delta provinces has reportedly reached 285,000 hectares, accounting for 36 percent of the total fruit growing area of the country. In 2010 Mekong Delta put out 2.93 million tons of fruits, staying firmly as the number one fruit producer of the country. However, the fruit export turnover remains modest which does not truly reflect the actual potentials of the region.
Production scale not big enough for export
Vietnam has a lot of fruits famous in the world, including Cho Gao dragon fruit (in Tien Giang province), Tan Phuoc pineapple (Tien Giang), rambutan (Ben Tre and Vinh Long), thick skinned orange (Vinh Long), Nam Roi My Hoa pomelo (Vinh Long). Especially, Mekong Delta can provide pomelos all year round.
However, Mekong Delta’s farmers still do not feel happy. The fruit prices fluctuate all the time in the domestic market, which makes their income unstable. They regularly take loss, despite bountiful crops.
In principle, they can export the wonderful fruits for money, which help them avoid losses when the domestic prices go down. However, the small scale farming makes it impossible for them to satisfy the requirements for export.
Hoa Loc mango, well known on the domestic market, has been exported to Japan. The Hoa Loc Mango Cooperative in Cai Be district of Tien Giang province comprises only 19 production households which grow mango on the area of 22 hectares.
Doan Huu Tien, MA, from the Southern Fruit Research Institute said that every year, only 100 tons of Hoa Loc mango is exported every year. Meanwhile, only 30 tons of Lo Ren star apple was exported in 2010.
“These are good fruits, but the growing area is too modest, which does not allow to export in big quantities,” Tien said.
According to Nguyen Van Khoa, Chair of the Hoa Hung Commune People’s Committee of Tien Giang province, Japanese partners asked local farmers to sign a contract on exporting mangos in large quantities to Japan. However, the current mango growing area is too small which cannot provide enough fruits for export.
According to the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Institute, the fruit and vegetable export turnover in the first eight months of the year reached 405 million dollars. However, there is no figure about the fruit export turnover alone.
Dr Nguyen Van Hoa, Deputy Head of the Southern Fruit Research Institute, believes that the volume of fruits exported through official channel remains modest, while the volume of fruits exported across the border through unofficial channels is relatively big. However, Vietnam still cannot get the exact figures about the exports; therefore, Vietnam lacks necessary information when programming fruit growing areas.
A conductor needed
In Mekong Delta, old bananas are being grown together with other kinds of fruits. No one could imagine before that bananas could be exported to China. Since mid 2011, old bananas have suddenly become valuable, selling at 7000-10,000 dong per kilo. As a result, farmers in Cau Ke district of Tra Vinh province have been rushing to grow bananas.
In Tien Giang province, when mangosteen could be sold for good prices, farmers rushed to chop down longan trees to grow mangosteen trees. Later, when longan became more expensive again, they rushed to chop down other trees to develop longan orchards again.
Here, for the last many years, there has been no fruit growing area development strategy, and farmers just try to grow the trees they think can be sold well. As farmers do not have sufficient information about the market and consumption level, they regularly took loss because of the overproduction.
Tien stressed that it is necessary to organize production in a big scale, and each cooperative needs to have hundreds or thousands of hectares of fruit growing areas. Especially, there should be a “conductor” who can help support the development of growing areas, increase the fruit output and promote export.
vietnamnet, NLD
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