Binh Thuan Province is increasing investment for irrigation, electricity, road systems and refrigeration to raise quality of production for dragon fruit.
The plan is to concentrate on main farms in Ham Thuan Nam, Ham Thuan Bac and Bac Binh District.
The areas will increase by 1,000 hectares and production is expected to increase by 20,000 tons in 2015 yielding US$56 million in exports.
By 2020, the province is expected to have 23,500 hectares of dragon fruit farms producing 750,000 tons yielding US$100 million in exports.
There are currently 20,000 hectares producing 400,000 tons. In 2005, the country owned 5,800 hectares of farms producing 97,000 tons.
The cultivation of dragon fruit has reduced poverty in many rural areas. Over 6,300 hectares of rice fields have been converted into dragon fruit farms in the past couple years, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Binh Thuan Province.
Many farmers have started using technologies to harvest the fruit according to safety standards of Vietgap and Globalgap.
About 30,000 farmers are working with businesses to successfully sell the produce.
The country consumes only 15-20 percent of the province’s production. The remaining 330,000 tons produced is exported to 14 nations and territories. China is the largest market.
Refrigeration technologies are insufficient for longer preservation.
