Vietnamese exotic fruit exporter Bao Thanh Co Ltd is looking for EU, US or Japanese investment partners to develop 1,000ha of dragon fruit production to Tesco Nature’s Choice (TNC) or GlobalGap standards by 2019 in Binh Thuan Province – central Vietnam.
“In our plan, we will own 200ha (we already have 40ha), and the remaining 800ha will be grown once we have investors and have secured markets for our production,” Bao Thanh export manager William The Lam told Fruitnet.
The firm launched the project in late 2008 with the backing of UK retail giant Tesco and British exotic fruit importer Utopia, Mr Lam said.
“In the EU and US most importers are just interested in getting fruit for the cheapest possible price. They are not interested in developing high-quality production for long-term business,” he said.
“Vietnam has over 16,000ha under dragon fruit production, but most farmers are unable to meet GlobalGap standards because there is nothing and no one to support or guide them. Currently, only four Vietnamese growers have GlobalGap certificates for 100ha (which yield approximately 4,000 tonnes per year) and 10ha are TNC accredited.”
Bao Thanh exports dragon fruit from three farms to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, and from this year, the US and Canada, under the Ticay brand.
Headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, the firm was established in 2000 and employs 30 staff.
