10 mangoes products of the 90s group meet OCOP standards

A diverse range of products from mangoes.

Cam Lam district is known as the mango capital of Khanh Hoa province, with a total area of over 7,500 ha. The main varieties include Australian mangoes (about 3,500 ha) and Four Seasons mangoes (about 2,000 ha), with other varieties covering the remaining area. Approximately 4,800 ha of mangoes are currently being harvested, with a total production of over 38,000 tons of fresh fruit/year.

Currently, Australian mangoes are mainly purchased by local traders and exported to China through unofficial channels, without contracts, resulting in unstable prices and market risks, which are disadvantageous for mango farmers. At times, the price of fresh mangoes has dropped significantly, causing difficulties and losses for the farmers.

Having witnessed local farmers often having to let mangoes fall to the ground or sell them at low prices during harvest seasons, in 2021, three members - Dang The Truyen, Nguyen Thanh Hoang, and Nguyen Thanh Phong (all born in the 90s) decided to collaborate and create a plan to promote the unique local product.

In the spacious area dedicated to showcasing and selling their processed mango products on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Cam Hai Tay Commune (Cam Lam District), Mr. Truyen invited us to enjoy a refreshing mango tea that alleviates the scorching heat, making it much more pleasant. Additionally, we were offered crispy mango milk candies, which were rich in flavour and fragrant with mango, proving to be very delicious.

Mr. Truyen shared that over the past three years, the group has developed and processed ten different mango products. Besides mango tea and mango milk candies, their product range includes dried mango, mango rice paper, mango cakes, mango smoothies, mango ice cream, mango sticky rice, mango pudding, and mango bingsu... Among these, the dried mango from Cam Lam achieved a 3-star OCOP rating in 2022.

"This year, we have registered our dried mango milk and Cam Lam mango rice paper for the OCOP program at the district level. In the near future, we plan to introduce two more products: mango wine and mango candies", Mr Truyen revealed.

The value of processed mango products is significantly higher than fresh ones. For example, dried mango is priced at VND 360,000/kg, which is 7 to 8 times more expensive than fresh mangoes. However, producing 1 kg of dried mango requires 7 to 8 kg of fresh mangoes. Currently, their dried mango products, especially the chili-salted dried mango, have established the group's reputation and expanded the reach of Cam Lam mangoes. The group's monthly revenue amounts to hundreds of millions of VND.

Mr. Truyen credits their success to a strong focus on branding and product promotion. "Producing the product is challenging, but reaching consumers is even harder. Initially, many people refused to try the dried mango, saying that since they were from a mango-growing region, they were already tired of mangoes. Moreover, they thought all mangoes were the same", Mr. Truyen explained.

However, leveraging their technological expertise, the group has developed the website camlamonline and created a presence on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and various e-commerce sites such as Tiki, Shopee, and Lazada to promote their products. Additionally, local authorities and departments have facilitated their participation in trade fairs, exhibitions, and promotional events to find customers and partners.

Expanding their deep processing capabilities

Currently, they use Australian and Four Seasons mangoes for their dried mango products, which gives them a distinctive quality compared to other producers.

According to Mr Truyen, Australian mangoes are primarily exported. The domestic market is less fond of them due to their lower sugar content, making them somewhat bland and less competitive compared to fresh mangoes like Cat Hoa Loc and Cat Chu. In previous years, if Australian mangoes could not be exported to China, they would be discarded, leading to significant waste. However, when processed into dried mango, this variety reveals a high sugar concentration. Additionally, the mangoes have a soft, chewy texture and a delightful aroma, and they do not become fibrous. As a result, Cam Lam dried mangoes have received positive feedback from customers regarding their quality.

Furthermore, supermarket chains have rated Cam Lam dried mangoes very highly and have requested a stable supply. Additionally, a company in Ho Chi Minh City is exploring ways to export Cam Lam dried mangoes to Sri Lanka.

However, recently, the group’s production capacity has been limited, handling only 3-4 tons of fresh mangoes per day, which has not been sufficient to meet market demand.

Recognizing the potential of dried mangoes both domestically and internationally, in 2023, the 9X group collaborated with EMU Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Cam Duc (Cam Lam) to establish a standardized supply of raw materials and invest in expanding their processing facility using heat drying technology. This facility is expected to start operations in October. Initially, the group plans to dry 90-100 kg of fresh mangoes/day, which will yield approximately 15 kg of dried mangoes.

The group has already partnered with farmers to produce mangoes according to VietGAP standards and has developed nearly 50 hectares of organic mango cultivation. As dried mangoes meet international standards and are exported, the value of mangoes will increase.

According to Mr Vo Tan Thong, Director of Cam Thanh Bac Fruit Cooperative (Cam Lam), the cooperative currently manages 100 ha of mangoes, primarily Australian mangoes, with nearly 40 hectares meeting VietGAP standards. Typically, about 30% of Australian mango production does not meet export standards. Previously, farmers would discard or sell these at low prices. However, now many entities, including the camlamonline group (9X group), purchase these mangoes for processing into dried mangoes, helping to increase the income of mango growers.