Year of the Vietnamese dragon

The Vietnamese dragon-fruit industry could soon be targeting Europe following a boost it received last week when representatives of the Australian Agency for International Development, the US Agency for International Development and the Southern Fruit Research Institute (Sofri) signed a memorandum of understanding in HCM City outlining a joint effort to assist producers.

Signatories hope to continue the work of implementing good agricultural practices (GAP) for fruit growers to help them achieve standards that would be acceptable to European retailers.

The project, which was launched in January will last for two-and a half years. Bob Webster, director of the Dragon Fruit GAP Project, hopes to help the industry access higher value export markets.

Webster said initial efforts have been made in Binh Thuan Province over the past six months to benchmark existing agricultural practices; develop training for dragon-fruit farmers; demonstrate successful farming techniques with pilot farmer groups, and work with exporters such as Metro Viet Nam and Vegetexco to gain access to the EU and other Western markets.

Farmers in the southern provinces of Tien Giang and Long An will soon join those of Binh Thuan in the project.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development has asked local authorities to support the project in any way possible.

Binh Thuan provincial authorities have revealed a plan to expand dragon fruit cultivation areas from 5,000 hectares to 11,000 by 2010.

"If the project is successful in helping dragon fruit farmers in Binh Thuan Province access EU markets...this could be replicated with other fruits and

vegetables," said Webster.

Viet Nam exported about 160,000 tonnes of fruit last year, including around 32,000 tonnes of dragon fruit.

The director of Sofri, Dr Nguyen Minh Chau, said that an oversupply of dragon fruit since 2000 has meant that exports to Asian countries have been less valuable, and Vietnamese exports to high-value Western markets have lagged due to inadequate regulatory and food safety requirements.