A Vietnamese farmer during mango harvest season in Đồng Tháp Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Văn Trí

HCM CITY — The Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) and ORGA Việt Nam Co., Ltd. signed an agreement on Thursday to bring a new thick-skinned mango variety, LĐ12 – marketed as Cát Lộc Phát Mango – to consumers in Việt Nam and abroad.

Dr Võ Hữu Thoại, director of SOFRI, explained that LĐ12 was created by cross-breeding the American Vandyke mango with Việt Nam’s famous Cát Hòa Lộc mango.

The result is a fruit that grows well, flowers easily and produces higher yields - between 2.7 and 4.9 per cent more than Cát Hòa Lộc. The LĐ12 mango is sweet, with a Brix level of 19.6 to 23.4 per cent, thick skin that helps protect the fruit, and an average weight of around 430 grams.

Since 2021, the variety has been officially recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture, authorised for trial production and granted plant variety protection. DNA barcoding has also confirmed that it is genetically distinct from Cát Hòa Lộc.

Growing areas for LĐ12 now cover 24.5 hectares in Đồng Tháp, An Giang and Cần Thơ, with additional plantings at SOFRI itself. The first commercial crop, harvested between October 2025 and March 2026, is expected to yield about 100 tonnes.

Dr Thoại said that the move to commercialise the LĐ12 mango not only puts research into practice but also strengthens links between scientists and businesses, adds value for farmers and supports sustainable fruit production in southern provinces.

ORGA Việt Nam, based in Hồ Chí Minh City, specialises in supplying and processing fresh produce. With its wide distribution network and modern processing facilities, the company will work with SOFRI to build a value chain for Cát Lộc Phát Mango over an initial five-year cooperation period.

General Director Lê Thị Thảo Trinh said the partnership was a promising step to develop both domestic and export markets, added: “By working together, we can raise the value of this new mango variety, bring farmers greater benefits and help Việt Nam’s mango industry grow more sustainably." — VNS