Dragon fruit, one of Vietnam’s key export crops with an annual export value of nearly USD 1 billion, has seen significant improvements after many years of cooperation with New Zealand.
New Zealand has been working with Vietnam to build a fully integrated value chain for premium fruit varieties. One of the outcomes of this cooperation is a new dragon fruit variety.
According to New Zealand’s ambassador to Vietnam, Wendy Matthews, this new variety will feature more vibrant colors than current dragon fruit and have an improved, more fragrant and delicious flavor.
As for its release timeline, since it is still being finalized and awaiting product protection, the new dragon fruit may be ready for consumers as early as 2021.
Ambassador Wendy Matthews stated that Vietnam has great potential to further develop its agricultural production and exports in the future, provided that each stage of the product value chain is perfected.
Speaking to Tuổi Trẻ Online on the sidelines of the National Conference on the Development and Commercialization Model for Premium Fruit Varieties held on June 5–6 in Ho Chi Minh City, the New Zealand Ambassador said:
“Vietnam needs to continuously improve the quality of its exported fruits through breeding and variety selection, post-harvest pest control, and effective commercialization. New Zealand is very willing to assist Vietnam in this matter.”
In addition to dragon fruit, New Zealand is also implementing a technical project to improve the yield and quality of avocados in Vietnam. While Vietnamese avocados are diverse in varieties, their quality is relatively uniform. Both countries hope that this new project will increase the value of Vietnamese avocados, improve the supply chain, and create more export opportunities.
The development of new dragon fruit varieties is part of the Premium Fruit Variety Development Project, a six-year initiative (starting in 2013) funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme with a total budget of USD 5.6 million in non-refundable aid.
The project is jointly implemented by the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (PFR), the Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI), and the Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology (SIAEP).
Source: Minh Khôi – Tuổi Trẻ Newspaper
