The 30-ha-pomelo area affirms its brands thanks to VietGAP

In Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province, the commune of Quy Mong is a major place for the development of tropical fruit plants. Many families in the commune have progressively adopted the production of tropical fruit trees in accordance with VietGAP requirements in recent years, resulting in enhanced economic efficiency and product brand improvement.

The VietGAP process for professional production

Mr. Tran Manh Hien's family in Tan Thanh hamlet is one of the commune's long-standing pomelos cultivators. He makes about 100 million VND per year from his garden's 200 pomelo plants. Mr. Hien alternatively cultivates numerous pomelo kinds to fulfill consumer demand, including green-skinned pomelos, Cat Que pomelos, and Dien pomelos, among others.

Previously, Mr. Hien, like many other homes in the region, relied on experience and habits to apply chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with no scientific methodology. However, since engaging in technical training for cultivation in accordance with VietGAP guidelines three years ago, the procedure of planting and caring for pomelo trees in his family has drastically altered.

Mr. Hien believes that farming fruit trees without the use of pesticides is almost difficult. The VietGAP standard reduces pesticide consumption by focusing on bio-based products to prevent and manage pests and illnesses. Pesticides are only used when necessary, when hazardous organisms surpass a certain threshold, and rigorous adherence to the application method and isolation periods is required. Pesticide usage must be documented and continuously monitored to guarantee customer safety and product quality.

Despite the hurdles and inconveniences, Mr. Hien claimed that using the VietGAP standard in farming has resulted in much better outcomes. Customers trust the fruits since they are fragrant and tasty, assuring food safety and cleanliness, and they may be sold at higher rates.

Mr. Hien's family, as well as many other households in Quy Mong commune, have successfully built pomelo growing methods that adhere to VietGAP criteria in order to attain excellent quality. People actively attempt to study and acquire strategies at each stage of tree development, from soil preparation to planting, fertilizing, trimming, and watering, and notably pest and disease avoidance.

Mr. Tran Xuan Thinh's family's pomelo growing model in Tan Thanh hamlet (Quy Mong commune) has moved from utilizing chemical fertilizers, stimulants, and pesticides to employing compost and different sorts of microbial preparations for pest avoidance. Weed management is accomplished during the care process solely by the use of periodic grass-cutting equipment to control and manage weeds, with no chemicals used.

Mr. Thinh's pomelo garden is lush, robust, and disease-free thanks to the meticulous use of the VietGAP farming procedure. The earth is rich in nutrients and fruitful.

"Most of the fruit tree area is planted in the garden near the house," Mr. Thinh explained, "so applying VietGAP production, limiting pesticide use, ensures a safe living environment." I need to spend more time in the pomelo garden, studying every symptom of pests and illnesses in order to prevent them from spreading. Pruning branches and buds to assist pomelo trees grow properly, feeding with organic fertilizer at the appropriate periods of growth and development to assure fragrant and tasty fruit."

Confirming the pomelos brand in Quy Mong

Since 2021, the commune authorities have encouraged families to form the Quy Mong Tropical Fruit Cooperative in order to increase the value of tropical fruit trees and build a connected chain of production. The cooperative has 30 members and around 70 houses that collaborate on production. Members of the cooperative collaborate to produce pomelo goods in a closed value chain, from cultivation and care to product consumption.

Mr. Do Xuan Sang, the Cooperative's Director, explained that in order to produce pomelos in accordance with VietGAP requirements, all cooperative members must take training and rigorously follow to the care procedure. They use scientific and technological advances to assure food safety while meeting market needs. Furthermore, the alliance intends to gradually extend cultivated areas and identify stable customer markets in order to enhance the lifestyles of fruit tree producers.

Currently, over 70 households in Quy Mong commune are farming pomelos that satisfy VietGAP requirements, including Din pomelos, green-skinned pomelos, Cat Que pomelos, and scarlet pomelos, among others. Quy Mong pomelo goods are traceable thanks to origin labels, packaging, and labeling that fit client requirements. Quy Mong's pomelo goods have been designated as OCOP (One Commune, One Product) and are marketed not just locally but also through social media platforms like as Facebook, the e-commerce platform Shopee, and the cooperative's website, therefore extending the market for their products.

According to Mr. Phung Tien Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Mong commune, Quy Mong now boasts almost 90 hectares of various types of fruit-bearing trees, with over 30 hectares dedicated to VietGAP-standard pomelo production. The commune authorities have provided circumstances to assist families in attending training courses and transferring scientific and technological information in order to boost production and product quality. Furthermore, the commune focuses on distributing knowledge and encouraging people to convert inefficient paddy fields, orchards, and sloping areas into farming regionally beneficial crops, notably various types of fruit-bearing trees, in order to increase income levels.