Fruits provide important input for industrial production in Dong Thap

Fruit farms in the southern province of Dong Thap have provided important input for industrial production and helped increase value-added in the industry, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In the last three years, many companies have chosen local fruits to export thanks to their high quality and diversity that satisfy consumers’ tastes.

Currently, 25 small-and-medium-sized enterprises in the province invested in processing and making products from fruits like mango, banana, guava, longan, orange/ tangerine peel, lotus leaves, lotus flowers, roses and vegetable.

Over 60 products were introduced to the market, of them, 20 products met standards of the “One Commune – One Product” (OCOP) programme, which makes them eligible for entering supermarket chains.

Localities in the province considered fruits as highly profitable products in their agriculture restructuring. They planned to develop large-scaled material zones to minimise production cost and maximum benefits.

At present, Dong Thap is home of 33,000 ha of orchards, producing over 377,000 tonnes of fruits yearly including 10,000 ha of mango – a key export product of the province.

Mango, citrus fruits and longan are grown in concentrated areas. They could generate profits 3-8 times higher than rice farming.

The province planned to expand its fruit cultivation area to over 35,000 ha by 2025.