Bình Thuận dragon fruit that meets VietGAP standards is packed for export. Photo thanhnien.vn

BÌNH THUẬN – The People's Committee of the south-central province of Bình Thuận is seeking ways to facilitate the sustainable development of its dragon fruit production chain.

The province targets to improve economic efficiency for cooperatives and businesses, while increasing competitiveness and expanding the fruit's consumption.

At a workshop late last week to connect local enterprises with partners at home and abroad to expand the market for dragon fruit, experts said the province needed to focus on producing organic dragon fruit and developing a production roadmap to meet the needs of market diversification.

Accordingly, the plan would help expand the green dragon fruit export market, increase export volume to traditional export markets and enhance trade promotion activities.

At present, Bình Thuận mainly produces fresh dragon fruit, of which 80-85 per cent are for export and about 15-20 per cent are for the domestic market.

Bình Thuận Province now encourages farmers to increase product quality in dragon fruit production while not expanding production areas for the sustainable development of this product.

Nguyễn Đức Trí, deputy director of the provincial Agricultural Extension Center, said VietGAP standards are also applied for the sustainable development of dragon fruit production. That has increased the value of dragon fruit products and met the demand of export markets. On the other hand, the use of pesticides is also minimised, increasing the prestige and quality of Bình Thuận dragon fruit products.

By the end of 2022, the area of dragon fruit trees in the province was about 26,977 hectares, down 5,283 hectares compared to 2021; production reached more than 600,000 tonnes. In the period of 2020-2022, the whole province had only 9,063 hectares of dragon fruits that met VietGAP standards.

Bình Thuận Province is forming a dragon fruit production region with high technology in the districts of Hàm Thuận Nam and Hàm Thuận Bắc.

The Bình Thuận Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has also requested the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection and relevant agencies to strengthen the management and supervision of the use of planting region codes and codes of dragon fruit packing establishments that have been granted to organisations and individuals in the province.

It would also coordinate with the Market Management Department to strengthen inspection and control of the labelling at dragon fruit packaging facilities in accordance with existing regulations.

Bình Thuận dragon fruit has been exported to 17 countries such as India, China and Malaysia. – VNS