The People's Committee of Co Do district (Can Tho city) said that with an area of 5,000 hectares of fruit trees, this locality is affirming its position as a "capital" of abundant fruit trees, where famous specialties such as longan, mango, soursop... not only enrich farmers but also conquer the most demanding markets in the world such as the United States, Australia, Japan, the EU and China...
From the fruit-laden longan gardens in Thoi Hung commune (Co Do district), the story of getting rich from fruit trees is even more convincing. Farmer Le Van Suot - a veteran member of Thai Thanh Cooperative - shared: "The cooperative currently has 24 members with 127 hectares of longan, harvesting over 1,500 tons each year. What is proud is that nearly half of our label output has reached international markets, bringing in revenue of about 40 billion VND per year".
This success does not come by chance. Thai Thanh Cooperative has proactively built a production process that meets strict standards, and is granted a growing area code to confidently export to China, Japan, the EU, the United States and Australia. The impressive export rate, accounting for about 50% of annual output, is a testament to the quality and reputation of Co Do fruit in the international market.
Mr. Suot did not hesitate to compare economic efficiency. According to him, each hec-ta growing longan earns about 300 million VND/year, 8-10 times higher than growing rice. This is a breakthrough transformation, helping to change the lives of farmers significantly.
In addition, Thai Thanh Cooperative is aiming for a higher goal by focusing on organic production, a strategic step to enhance brand value and enhance competitiveness in the global market.
" Production at this time must be organic, in the direction of VietGAP, GlobalGAP. If production is normal, it will be difficult to compete and sell for export. If it is not exported, the value will not be high, and large output will be difficult to consume," Mr. Suot worried and expressed his desire to receive support from competent authorities in certifying organic products.
To pave the way for agricultural products to reach the "big sea", Can Tho city has issued 223 growing area codes with a total area of over 3,000 hectares. At the same time, the locality actively orients and encourages people to develop circular agriculture, strictly complying with the regulations and requirements of importing countries.
Mr. Vo Trung Canh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Thoi Hung commune (Co Do district) - could not hide his pride in the potential of the locality: Currently, the commune has more than 3,800 hectares of fruit trees, focusing on trees with high economic value such as longan, mango, durian, pineapple... Of which, the longan area reaches more than 455 hectares, with an output of over 6,200 tons. Income from longan trees is bringing a more prosperous life to people, 8-10 times higher than growing rice.
Thoi Hung commune government is closely coordinating with specialized agencies to implement sustainable development solutions for fruit trees. Legal procedures for exporting key products are being urgently completed. At the same time, the high-quality label growing model according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards has been replicated to improve quality and competitiveness in the market, said Mr. Canh.
In the future, Mr. Vo Trung Canh informed that Thoi Hung commune will continue to promote the transfer of science and technology, encourage organic production, and say no to chemical fertilizers. In particular, the locality is actively calling on businesses to invest in building processing and drying factories for agricultural products, aiming to export products with high added value, instead of only exporting raw products as at present.
"The commune also calls on businesses to purchase the product. Currently, Tam Ngoc Company located in the area has many mango, glue and pineapple drying kilns. We are propagating and encouraging people to switch to these fruit trees so that the company can cover, dry and export to the world market in the coming time," Mr. Vo Trung Canh shared about the efforts to connect production and consumption.
