Mekong Delta Fruit Farmers Eye Export Market
Fruit farmers in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnam’s largest fruit growing area, need help in accessing export markets since the domestic market has not been profitable, said local experts.
The prices for some types of fruit have dropped by half compared to the price from the previous year, they added.
Huynh Quang Dau, vice chairman of the Vietnam Vegetables and Fruit Association said poor planning was partly to blame for the drop in prices during the peak harvest season.
Others, meanwhile, blamed the falling price on the massive inflow of fruit from Thailand and China, which is sold at competitive prices on the domestic market.
The Mekong Delta region currently has 262,500 hectares of fruit orchards with an annual output of three million tons, accounting for 46.1 per cent of the country’s total output.
Dau said fruit farmers should be provided with assistance to plant high quality hybrids that could bring them higher incomes in domestic and foreign markets.
Nguyen Minh Chau head of the Southern Fruit Research Institute said scientists and businesses should provide farmers with marketing and technical support.
Some companies, including Donatechno in Dong Nai province and Vinamit in Binh Duong province, have given funds to farmers so that they can plant trees according to GlobalGAP (Good Agriculture Practice) standards.
The standards, required by many importing countries, help meet the demand for hygienic, high quality exports. (baomoi.com)
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