An Giang Province is focusing on developing specialised fruit farms to export to demanding markets. VNA Photo

AN GIANG — An Giang Province is developing specialised fruit farming areas with safe, high-quality production to gain a competitive advantage and export to demanding markets.

In 2024 it also intends to transform economically inefficient rice farms into key orchards, including creating 10,000ha of the specialised fruit farms. 

It plans to focus on some key fruits such as mango, durian and longan.

It will create specialised mango farms on nearly 8,950ha in seven localities: Chợ Mới, Tri Tôn, Tịnh Biên, An Phú, Tân Châu, Long Xuyên, Châu Phú and Châu Thành.

They will tie up with major export businesses like Hoàng Phát Fruit Company Limited and Vina T&T Import Export Trading Service Company Limited. 

The province has also developed 330ha of longan farms, 280ha of durian farms, and 145ha of citrus farms.

Trần Thanh Hiệp, deputy director of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the issuance of farming area codes (which strengthens traceability for export) is being promoted to reach the target of nearly 3,620ha.

The department also organises trade facilitation events for the specialised fruit farms, promotes An Giang’s fruits and develops products that are certified with One Commune One Product.

It forecasts market demand for fruits to restructure fruit production, and develop major domestic distribution channels.

Nguyễn Sĩ Lâm, the department’s director, said the province is pushing for official exports of fruits to China and expansion in promising markets such as the EU, Japan, the US, Australia, and Korea.

By 2025 An Giang Province hopes to convert 10,300ha of rice farms into specialised orchards, with mangoes accounting for 9,100ha.

It also encourages orchids in specialised farming areas to comply with quality standards such as VietGAP (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices) and GlobalGAP. 

Last year there were 19,540ha of orchards, 786ha more than in 2022.

Exports of fruits and frozen vegetables were worth $65 million, 96.97 per cent up from 2022. — VNS