Farmers harvests rambutan in the southeastern province of Đồng Nai. The National Office of Intellectual Property has granted protection under geographical indication for Long Khánh rambutan, which is grown in the southeastern province of Đồng Nai. — Photo tuoitre.vn

HCM CITY – The National Office of Intellectual Property has granted protection under geographical indication for Long Khánh rambutan, which is grown in the southeastern province of Đồng Nai.

The designation was given to nhãn and tróc rambutan grown, preserved and packaged in Long Khánh Town, Xuân Lộc, Thống Nhất and Cẩm Mỹ districts.

Nhãn rambutans, which are smaller than other varieties, are considered to have the best taste among rambutan varieties.  

Tróc rambutan has a red or dark red peel, long hairs and a sweet taste. The flesh does not stick tightly to the seed and can be eaten easily.

Geography, climate and soil have created the specific quality of Long Khánh rambutan compared to rambutan grown in other areas, according to the National Office of Intellectual Property.

The provincial People’s Committee will manage the geographical indication protection.    

Rambutan is the province’s second fruit granted geographical indication protection, after Tân Triều grapefruit.

Cultivation area

Đồng Nai has more than 11,000 ha of rambutan grown mostly in Long Khánh Town, Xuân Lộc, Thống Nhất and Cẩm Mỹ districts.

More than 6,700ha of rambutan in these areas are under geographical indication protection.

Long Khánh Town has about 2,800ha of rambutan. Many areas have used advanced farming techniques to improve yield and quality.

Trần Mộng Thành, deputy chairman of the Long Khánh Town People’s Committee, said: “The town has helped farmers establish a model of growing rambutan under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards in Bình Lộc Commune.”

The model is now used by other farmers.

“We are strengthening the link between companies and farmers to guarantee stable rambutan outlets,” he said.

Đoàn Quốc Sang, who grows rambutan in Xuân Lộc District, said Đồng Nai rambutan was delicious and well-known in the domestic market, but the outlets were unstable. 

“We hope the geographical indication protection will result in better prices and stable outlets,” he said.

The province’s rambutan orchards are now in peak harvest season, with an average output of nearly 20 tonnes per ha, lower than the previous harvest.

Orchard owners attributed the lower yield to the impact of prolonged drought in the dry season.

This year rambutan was harvested about one month later than in other years.

Đồng Nai rambutan is exported to several countries, including Japan and France. –VNS