Growing passion fruit meets export requirements

In recent years, Quang Ninh province has focused on restructuring the agricultural sector towards value enhancement and sustainable development, with the emphasis on restructuring crops and livestock and reorganizing production.

Specifically, the Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has proactively surveyed production and recommended and guided people to convert ineffective crop structures to suitable, highly economic crops. Thereby limiting risks caused by natural disasters and diseases while improving productivity, product quality, and people's income, meeting market demand.

For example, in Dam Ha district (Quang Ninh province), in November 2023, the passion fruit growing model of Truong Giang Agricultural Cooperative (Trai Dinh village, Dam Ha commune), although newly implemented, showed positive results.

Mr. Dang Van Giang, Director of Truong Giang Cooperative, shared: "In 2018, we mainly grew vegetables and crops, but the efficiency was not high and productivity was low. In November 2023, through learning from information channels and realizing that passion fruit trees bring high economic efficiency, the Cooperative has converted to growing this type of tree on an area of over 3 hectares in an organic direction.

The passion fruit garden of Truong Giang Cooperative has become a pilot model of Dam Ha district with more than 4,000 roots. The district supported 70% of the seed and materials costs. Thanks to organic production without the use of pesticides, tested passion fruit products meet the standard of not having 570 banned agricultural substances, ensuring export conditions.

"Passion fruit is of high quality and safe for consumers. The passion fruit garden is assessed to meet GlobalGAP standards, meeting export standards. Fruiting time is 45–50 days. Output can reach 20 tons/ha, with a selling price of VND 10,000–20,000/kg," said Mr. Giang.

Mr. Hoang Vinh Khuyen, Chairman of the Dam Ha District People's Committee, shared that the locality is actively training and supporting farmers to convert ineffective crop structures to growing passion fruit trees. Encouraging households, cooperatives, and agricultural enterprises to apply science and technology and new varieties to production, especially for passion fruit and key fruit trees; apply advanced farming processes; and bring clean, high-quality agricultural products to the market.

With the initial success of passion fruit trees, Dam Ha plans to replicate the model in accordance with the district's project to develop concentrated fruit tree production. A representative of the Dam Ha Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the unit will continue to advise the district to focus on directing and evaluating the model, attracting investors, creating linkage chains, and consuming products.

Mr. Tran Van Thuc, Director of the Quang Ninh Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, shared that the passion fruit growing model of Dam Ha district is showing positive results, contributing to the development of concentrated fruit tree production in the district. According to Mr. Thuc, the model needs to invest in, overcome existing limitations, and expand the area to be granted a planting area code. From there, it is convenient to look up information, trace the origin, and meet export requirements.

Dam Ha district aims to reach 150 hectares of passion fruit growing area by 2025, with an output of 4,400 tons. By 2030, the total area of passion fruit growing will reach 500 hectares, with output reaching 10,000 tons, concentrated mainly in the communes of Tan Binh, Duc Yen, Dam Ha, Tan Lap, Quang Tan, and Dai Binh.