Farmers benefit on dragon fruit sales

LONG AN — Blue dragon fruit farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Province of Long An are able to make a profit of about VND200 million (US$9,500) per hectare every year, a local leader has said.

Nguyen Van Thinh, deputy chairman of the province's Chau Thanh District, said his district has around 1,200ha under the fruit.

The fruit is harvested three months after planting, and farmers here grow three crops a year. The yield per crop is 22,000-25,000kg per ha.

The wholesale price of the fruit has been VND10,000-11,000 per kilogramme after the recent harvest, though it rises to VND15,000-16,000 during the off-season.

Thinh said the district planned to expand the area under the fruit to 1,500ha by 2015, including an area exclusively for growing it to the US and EU quality standards.

In the district, blue dragon fruits grown on 30ha meet GlobalGAP standards and those grown on another 60ha meet VietGAP standards. — VNS