Opportunity to promote pomelo export

​At the end of November, an enterprise in Ben Tre province officially exported the first order of Vietnam's fresh pomelo to the US market. To get this result is a journey of more than 5 years of negotiations between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the US Department of Agriculture.

Harvesting pomelos in Binh Loi commune, Vinh Cuu district. Photo: Phan Anh

This is a great market opportunity for pomelos in particular, and fresh fruits of Vietnam in general because the United States is a large potential market for Vietnam's exported fresh fruits.
Grapefruit faces a crisis of excess
Previously, grapefruit was the top crop for good profit in the province. But in the last few years, the price of grapefruit fell sharply, at a time when the sale price in the garden was not 10 thousand VND/kg, the price of the growers lost capital but traders also bought only in moderation because the market supply is larger than demand.
In previous years, during the Mid-Autumn Festival or Lunar New Year season, the market for grapefruit consumption was quite vibrant but from the post-epidemic to date, the market was more difficult. Mr. Nguyen Minh Vuong, Director of Vuong Huong Trading and Service Company Limited (Binh Loi Commune, Vinh Cuu District) commented that in the past few years, especially since the Covid-19 epidemic, the price of pomelo tends to decrease because the source of pomelo in both the West and the East is very abundant. Meanwhile, the consumption market is not equal to the previous due to the overall hard effect of the economy. At the end of the year, the pomelo market is usually quite active, but currently the price of green-skinned pomelos sold in the garden is only from 12-15 thousand VND/kg, the price of farmers is not profitable.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam currently has 105,000 hectares of pomelo growing, with an output of nearly 905 thousand tons with diverse pomelo varieties, typical for each region. In 2021, the country has more than 3 thousand tons of Vietnamese grapefruit exported to many countries. This figure is very modest compared to the total production of grapefruit in the country.
Dong Nai is a locality with a large pomelo growing area of the country with over 10.3 thousand hectares, the area of pomelos being harvested is nearly 7,000 hectares with pomelo production reaching nearly 74,000 tons/year. This is the main crop of many localities such as: Vinh Cuu, Trang Bom, Xuan Loc, Dinh Quan, Tan Phu...
Must change in production mindset
Currently, the whole country has 36 pomelo growing areas in 10 provinces that have been granted planting area codes for export to the United States with an area of more than 750 hectares. This figure is quite modest compared to the total area of grapefruit in the country. This shows that the export potential of this fruit is huge because every year, the demand for fresh fruit consumption in the United States reaches 12 million tons. The domestic production of fresh fruit in the country currently meets only 70% of the demand, the remaining 30% is equivalent to about 3.6 million tons must be imported, including grapefruit.
To fruit grapefruit can be wide export sugar, quality standards are still the top important factor. According to the requirements of this market, pomelo growing areas and packing establishments must have appropriate management measures to eliminate pests such as fruit flies, fruit borers and fungi... Besides, Fresh pomelo exported to the United States must be irradiated and accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. Up to now, the Plant Protection Department has been coordinating with related parties to implement synchronous solutions, especially focusing on training pomelo producers and exporters on US import requirements.
Grapefruit is also a crop that Dong Nai Agriculture sector focuses on developing the planting area code in the period of 2021-2025 to meet the standards of the export market. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has registered a list of pomelo growing areas that need to be granted export codes to the US market. Currently, there are 13 pomelo growing cooperatives and cooperative groups in the province that have submitted registration documents to the Plant Protection Department and are waiting for them to consider and evaluate to issue a code of planting area for export to the US with a total area of more than 609 ha belongs to 452 pomelo growing households.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Thu, Director of Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Co., Ltd (Ben Tre province), the first unit to export pomelo to the US, said that in order to seize the opportunity to expand the export market for fruit. In general, pomelo fruit in particular, from farmers to businesses, must actively meet the requirements, especially making area codes, and product traceability. Farmers also have to change the farming process to minimize residues and control pests because this is the first criterion that the United States offers. Farmers should actively learn, take seriously to seize this opportunity well. The company is also trying to exploit the potential of other markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China...
According to Ms. Thu: “The State is also implementing many guidelines and policies to support farmers, cooperatives and businesses to implement. We should not do it in a coping style, but must strictly implement it, so as not to affect the reputation of the whole production area, affecting the reputation of businesses."

In the 2021-2025 period, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development aims to grant 73 planting area codes with a total area of nearly 6.5 thousand hectares with crops including banana, durian, dragon fruit, jackfruit, and rambutan. Particularly, pomelo fruit is expected to grant 22 codes with nearly 1.7 thousand hectares. Target, the whole province will be granted 61 codes of packing facilities of durian, banana, jackfruit, rambutan, mango and pomelo products.