SGGP
Quickly form strong enough groups to support, proactively respond, and create surplus value based on the effective exploitation of scientific and technological resources, innovation, and digital transformation. Developing a multi-value integrated fruit industry is a sustainable direction for fruit growers to stop repeating the "laugh - cry" refrain.
The three provinces of Binh Thuan, Tien Giang and Long An have the largest dragon fruit growing area in the country with more than 45,000 hectares, accounting for 82% of the area and 90% of the output. However, while the entire Vietnamese fruit industry is experiencing record export growth of more than 78% compared to the same period last year, the "king" fruit that once helped many farmers get rich is having to sadly suffer price drops and lose its consumer market. Dragon fruit growers have experienced both smiles and tears.
Currently, the situation of gardeners cutting down dragon fruit trees is happening in many places. The dragon fruit "kingdoms" of Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, Long An, each province has reduced by several thousand hectares. The export turnover of dragon fruit of our country has dropped from 1.27 billion USD in 2018 to less than 600,000 USD today.
Meanwhile, China, which accounts for 90% of our country's dragon fruit export turnover, has developed its growing areas and surpassed Vietnam's dragon fruit growing area. This country also applies strict control measures on dragon fruit imports, reduces and eliminates unofficial channels, and increases official imports.
The lesson of “bitter” sugarcane; pepper, cashew, citrus flooding the market; purple onion, sweet potato, watermelon falling into a situation of waiting for “rescue” has happened before. Just last year, dragon fruit was put in the first position among 14 key fruits of the country according to the investment project to develop key fruit material areas of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, but now the price has dropped dramatically. That raises the question of how to sustainably develop this potential industry. A comprehensive approach, multi-sectoral coordination and inter-sectoral solutions are needed for the dragon fruit industry in particular and the fruit and vegetable industry in general to develop sustainably in the future.
According to the export project of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by 2025, the entire fruit industry will reach an export turnover of 5 billion USD. However, this year, fruit exports are likely to reach this figure, exceeding the 2-year plan, but dragon fruit is falling in the opposite direction. We already have a planning for growing areas, a project on developing the processing industry, including fruit processing, and determining export markets. However, these three things need to be integrated.
The requirement is not only to invest in developing raw material areas, traceability, varieties, and cultivation methods, but also to improve the quality of linkage and cooperation between gardeners and businesses. If we want the factors in the fruit value chain in general and dragon fruit in particular to be well linked, we must ensure strict standards and sanctions. It is necessary to organize a good production linkage chain from the growing area - packaging facility - plant quarantine treatment facility - export enterprise to create quality products that meet plant quarantine and food safety standards.
The competitive challenges for businesses, cooperatives, and farmers are increasing; the responsibility of agencies that formulate mechanisms, policies, and laws, and set standards and quality standards to meet market demands is increasing. It is necessary to have competitive "technology", diversify products, build brands, promote exports, and develop domestic product consumption channels. It is necessary to invest in developing deep processing of fruit products.
Along with that, it is necessary to develop policies to support enterprises, cooperatives, farmers in accessing markets, capital, purchasing machinery, accumulating land, applying technology to develop in the direction of professionalization, increasing production scale and participating in cooperatives, linking with enterprises in value chains. Improve the quality of vocational training; the level and effectiveness of research, application, transfer of science - technology and innovation.
Early formation of strong enough groups to support, proactively respond, create surplus value based on effective exploitation of scientific and technological resources, innovation, and digital transformation. Developing a multi-value integrated fruit industry is a sustainable direction for fruit growers to stop repeating the "laugh - cry" refrain.
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