Developing special fruit trees with high economic value, products that meet the requirements of food safety. Output and stable productivity are the concern of many farmers, enterprises and agricultural cooperatives. In order to solve this problem, the initiative to learn and apply Good Agricultural Practice (VietGAP) for safe vegetables and fruits has been implemented by many cooperatives, enterprises as well as farms, to be assessed VietGAP procedure conformity by VinaCert’ auditors.
From red grapefruit trees growing cooperative in Hoa Binh…
Tan Lac district has favorable natural conditions for developing tropical fruit trees: sweet tangerines, logan, litchi and recently red grapefruit, green grapefruit. Developing special fruit trees to meet the needs of the people while ensuring green environment, increasing income, reducing the distance between rich and poor in urban and rural.
Tan Lac farmers have fruit trees growing and tending experience, so many households have earned hundreds of millions VND / ha / year from grapefruit growing. Tan Lac’s grapefruit products are available in the markets in Hoa Binh, Hanoi and many neighboring provinces.
However, the scale of fruit trees cultivation in Tan Lac is small, scattered, so the intensive farming investment capacity is low; The application of technical advances, management and production of seedlings is still shortcomings; The productivity of grapefruit is not high, the quality is uneven, the products have not met the demand of the market yet.
Red grapefruit trees cultivation under VietGAP (at zone 3, Muong Khen town, Tan Lac district) growing and developing fast.
In order to develop goods-oriented production, Resolution No 10-NQ / HU dated 10th July 2013 of the Executive Committee of Tan Lac district Party Committee (Session XXII) on developing red grapefruit, green grapefruit production brings many good results.
Along with support policies, mechanisms, local people are encouraged to invest in intensive farming: select land for growing grapefruit, water for irrigation, construct infrastructure for intensive farming production service, Tan Lac district encourages farmers to grow grapefruit on farm scale and apply VietGAP production process. As a result, the quality of grapefruit has been increasingly enhanced, created good opportunities for the farmers in Tan Lac district.
Through a practical assessment and documents retrieval of the red grapefruit growing, processing and consuming cooperative in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province (address: Zone 3, Muong Khen town, Tan Lac district). In the early of November 2017, auditor Nguyen Thi Phuong Mai of VinaCert said that nearly 21 hectares for growing red grapefruit of cooperative in zone 3, Tu Ne commune, Tan Lac district has applied the VietGAP process, document system basically meets the requirements of VietGAP.
Mr. Pham Khac Thuong with red grapefruit tree is growed under VietGAP procedure
The management of red grapefruit trees growing process under VietGAP has been thoroughly discussed by Mr. Pham Khac Thuong, Director of the cooperative. Hence, technology and farming methods in the direction of increasing the use of organic fertilizer, micro-organic fertilizer to minimize the chemical fertilizers have been applied effectively by the cooperative. If grapefruit trees are grown and developed well, will reach to yield 700 tonnes of fresh grapefruit per year.
In addition, Mr. Thuong has actively encouraged cooperative’s members to apply fog spraying, automatic irrigation technology to save electricity, water charges, labor and working time.
Red grapefruit tree growing model under VietGAP of the red grapefruit tree growing processing and consumption cooperative in Tan Lac town, Hoa Binh province.
With the completion of the document system under VietGAP process: Manuals for producing safe grapefruit under VietGAP; growing grapefruit trees; using safe fertilizer, chemicals and equipment; the process of investigating causes and measures to prevent and reduce permitted maximum pollution; Plan of production and processing and consumption of red grapefruit, ... Cooperatives have produced quality products, highly appreciated by customers.
…to Dien grapefruit trees farm in Thanh Hoa.
Not only Dien grapefruit trees are grown by people in Tho Xuan, Nga Son districts..., but also has a successful Dien grapefruit growing farm of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khai, located at village 11, Yen Tho commune, Yen Dinh district, Thanh Hoa province.
Dien grapefruit trees have been grown in Yen Dinh nearly 20 years ago, the plant varieties had been brought by a engineer working in Hanoi. The adaptation of the Dien grapefruit varieties in Yen Dinh has yield no less than grapefruit trees are grown in Cau Dien, Hanoi.
Auditor Nguyen Thi Phuong Mai in grapefruit trees growing farm
Understanding the economic value of the Dien grapefruit, over 10 years ago, Mr. Khai approached and grown several dozen roots, after few years showing the development of the grapefruit trees, suitability for the land, so he has gradually learned experience, techniques and expanding the area up to 10ha. Grapefruit Garden 9 - 10 years old after harvesting yield 200 tons / year.
Recognizing the application and VietGAP standards conformity certification contribute to creating quality products, ensuring food safety and is an opportunity to reach many markets, meet the needs of consumers and sustainability, Mr. Khai has applied grapefruit growing process according to VietGAP standard.
Mr. Khai said that although grapefruit trees are grown under the VietGAP process are more difficult , the quality of grapefruit is better than before. Grapefruit juice is fill and its inside is not crushed, natural sweet taste so that higher prices, but consumers still prefer.
At present, Khai's farm is being completed the post-harvest pre-processing process and promoting the labeling for the grapefruit products. Ensuring quality of products, meeting the requirements of the market, contributing to create jobs and stable income for 8 workers.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khai (on the left) introducing auditor Nguyen Thi Phuong Mai about the VietGAP process is being applied at the farm
To prove the quality and process of cultivation in accordance with VietGAP procedures, Mr. Khai has used VietGAP certification service of VinaCert. The results of the assessment by auditor Nguyen Thi Phuong Mai and provisional auditor Hoang Hai Hieu have showed that the system of documents is compiled, issued and applied by Mr. Khai at the farm from early 2017 to now, basically meets the requirements of the VietGAP Process.
However, Mr. Khai should soon implement corrective action some unconformity points that discovered by the audit team. This is the basis for the auditors to propose VinaCert accepting the farm in accordance with VietGAP Good Agricultural Practice.
It can be seen that from understanding the economic value of special varieties to strict compliance with VietGAP procedures, the cooperative produces, processes and consumes red grapefruit of Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province as well as grapefruit trees growing farms such as the farm of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Khai in Thanh Hoa have been asserting their superiority in complying with the law on food safety, gradually gaining market, meet the requirements of safe food supply chain.
This is also the value that VinaCert and its customers, farmers in the country are trying to create safe food supply chain to ensure quality in domestic and international markets. In this value chain, VinaCert plays role as a provider of reliable science and technology services to all stakeholders.
Thanh Hai IRC