Local watermelon seeds exported to Japan for first time

CAN THO – Vietnam has exported to Japan its first batch of 8.1 kilograms of watermelon seeds, produced by farmers in the Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Hau Giang with the support of Loc Troi Group and Japan’s Hagihara Farm Company.

A farmer cares for his watermelon crop. For the first time, Vietnamese farmers have successfully produced watermelon seeds for export to Japan - PHOTO: TRUNG CHANH

At a press briefing on the export of watermelon seeds to Japan held in HCMC today, July 23, Mai Tan Hoang, deputy head of Loc Troi Group’s research and development board, said after two years of research and a pilot program, local farmers have successfully produced watermelon seeds meeting the high standards required by Japan.

The watermelon seeds were produced in Tien Giang and Hau Giang as they have favorable weather conditions for the production of watermelon seeds.

The seeds had initially been produced in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, but the plan failed due to the large gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures, Hoang added.

Tran Viet Truong, one of the two farmers producing watermelon seeds, said the most difficult step during the seed production process is pollination.

Early this year, he had successfully piloted the production of watermelon seeds meeting Japanese standards.

According to Duong Van Chin, director of Loc Troi Group’s Dinh Thanh Agriculture Research Center, the export of watermelon seeds to such a selective market as Japan marks a significant success for the local agriculture sector, as the country can now ship the seeds to new markets.

Loc Troi Chairman and General Director Huynh Van Thon said the event marked a milestone in the improvement of Vietnamese farmers’ seed production capabilities. The group will further intensify cooperation with Hagihara Farm to support farmers.