Tien Giang implements many solutions for sustainable fruit export

Taking care of durian in My Tan commune.

Mr. Tran Hoang Nhat Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD) of Tien Giang province, said: The Provincial People's Committee has just issued a Plan to implement the work of granting and managing codes for growing areas, packaging facilities and controlling food safety in growing areas and export packaging facilities in the province to improve the effectiveness of state management in granting and managing codes for growing areas, packaging facilities and controlling food safety. Thereby, enhancing the capacity of management, inspection, assessment, supervision and control of agricultural product quality in growing areas and packaging facilities to serve the traceability of agricultural products to meet the requirements of importing countries in the new situation. Raising awareness, changing people's production thinking in the use of fertilizers, pesticides, pest management; creating safe and quality agricultural products that meet regulations on plant quarantine, food safety and traceability to increase the value of agricultural products in the province.

Tien Giang currently has 82,353 hectares of fruit orchards with an output of 940,574 tons along with a number of specialty fruits with competitive advantages, high consumer demand, and have affirmed their brands in domestic and foreign markets such as dragon fruit, durian, Hoa Loc mango... In the first quarter of 2025, Tien Giang province exported 7,868 tons of fruits and vegetables with a turnover of 18.73 million USD, of which durian exports to the Chinese market accounted for 34.23% of the total export turnover of fruits and vegetables of the province... According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang province, by early April 2025, the whole province currently has 466 fruit growing area codes for export with a total area of ​​over 28,406 hectares; including 155 durian growing area codes with nearly 7,000 hectares, 97 dragon fruit growing area codes with 6,250.855 hectares, 68 jackfruit growing area codes with 8,503.35 hectares... creating agricultural raw material areas with official export codes to China and other countries. In the largest dragon fruit growing area of ​​Tien Giang province, Cho Gao district has 6,600 hectares, the area of ​​dragon fruit bearing fruit is 5,545 hectares with a harvest output of 180,000 tons/year. Of which, the area of ​​dragon fruit produced according to VietGAP standards is about 2,200 hectares, according to Global GAP standards is over 300 hectares.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hang, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Cho Gao District, Tien Giang Province, said: The issuance of dragon fruit growing area codes plays an important role in serving exports. Technical staff have actively guided and advised dragon fruit growers to strictly follow production processes to meet the requirements of the issuance of growing area codes to facilitate the export of dragon fruit to other countries.

The Cho Gao dragon fruit growing area has been granted 64 export growing area codes with an area of ​​2,030 hectares (accounting for 30.7% of the district's dragon fruit area), export codes to the markets: Korea, China, USA, Australia, New Zealand. This is considered an important passport for Cho Gao dragon fruit in particular and Tien Giang province in general to be able to strongly penetrate demanding markets in the world.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Quy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hung Thinh Phat Clean Agriculture Cooperative in Quon Long Commune, Cho Gao District, said that up to now, the Cooperative has been granted 6 growing area codes to export dragon fruit to the US, China, Australia and New Zealand. Of these, there are 5 growing area codes for red-fleshed dragon fruit and 1 growing area code for white-fleshed dragon fruit; for the Korean and Japanese markets, the Cooperative is completing the application for growing area codes.

After being granted a growing area code, Hung Thinh Phat Clean Agriculture Cooperative has had more favorable conditions in contacting domestic and foreign customers to find outlets for dragon fruit according to a safe and sustainable supply chain, contributing to ensuring stable output for members as well as local dragon fruit growers.

For durian, Tien Giang has formed specialized growing areas concentrated in the western districts and towns of the locality with about 24,500 hectares of durian in Cai Lay district, Cai Be district, Cai Lay town... Of which, 16,000 hectares are being harvested with a yield of over 320,000 tons of fruit/year. Mr. Ngo Thanh Trung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of My Tan commune, Cai Be district, Tien Giang province, shared: The commune currently has about 2,000 hectares of durian. Durian trees are currently growing very well because they are suitable for the local soil, bringing very high economic efficiency. Specifically, in recent years, there have been households harvesting over 1 hectare in a year, earning about 1 billion VND. In the long term, My Tan commune has planned and linked with businesses and cooperatives to create growing area codes, have appropriate farming measures, and follow the safe use of pesticides to ensure food hygiene and safety in the process of producing durian, serving long-term and sustainable export.

In order to contribute to promoting the sustainable export of Tien Giang's fruit industry, the Department of Industry and Trade of the province and relevant agencies are proactively proposing many solutions to promote the export of agricultural products in general, and fruits in particular, to other countries, especially to the Chinese market. Mr. Luu Van Phi, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Tien Giang province, recommended that farmers, cooperatives and fruit exporting enterprises pay special attention to complying with clean and safe farming processes in the direction of GAP, strictly checking the stages of preliminary processing and post-harvest preservation in a scientific and safe manner... Thereby, strengthening management, improving the quality of exported agricultural products, ensuring food hygiene and safety as well as meeting the criteria and technical barriers from import partners, creating a premise for sustainable development of the local agricultural sector.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has organized 2 conferences on "Disseminating regulations related to growing areas, packaging facilities and proposing solutions to ensure the quality of fresh fruits for export in Tien Giang province" with 160 participants. At the same time, the Provincial People's Committee has submitted a draft plan on the implementation of the work of granting and managing codes for growing areas, packaging facilities and controlling food safety in growing areas and export packaging facilities in Tien Giang province in 2025. Up to now, Tien Giang province has granted 323 fruit packaging codes.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tien Giang province - Tran Hoang Nhat Nam discussed: In order to effectively issue fruit growing area codes, the Department of Agriculture of Tien Giang province always pays attention to and strengthens the work of establishing registration, checking, and monitoring of growing area codes, and packaging facility codes are always of interest to the province. The provincial Department of Cultivation and Plant Protection is the focal unit to receive applications for granting growing area codes and packaging facility codes. At the same time, continue to check and review the growing area codes and packaging facility codes issued in the province.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment will continue to support, guide, inspect, and supervise the maintenance of fruit growing areas that have been granted export growing area codes in the province. In addition, the unit will continue to support businesses, organizations, and individuals to expand or grant new fruit growing area codes for official export, creating conditions for the local fruit export industry to develop sustainably and fundamentally.

Article and photos: HUU CHI

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tien-giang-trien-khai-nhieu-giai-phap-xuat-khau-trai-cay-ben-vung-a185492.html