(HBO) – The first batch of Tan Lac red pomelo has been shipped to the UK, opening up a new opportunity, new market, and sustainable growth orientation for the fruit.

Members of the Tan Dong organic pomelo cooperative
have actively applied technological advances to improve the productivity and
quality of their product.
Tan Lac’s first batch, weighing nearly 7 tonnes, was also
Vietnam’s first of the citrus fruit sold overseas. Its producer is the Tan Lac
red pomelo production-processing-distribution cooperative, with related
packaging and transport activities serving the export done by the FUSA organic
farming company. All samples of the batch met technical requirements on food
safety set by the EU and UK.
Duong Duc Tinh, member of the Tan Lac cooperative, said the
batch is an important star for the fruit to reach more international markets.
The cooperative houses 50ha of pomelo orchards, with the trees cultivated
following the VietGAP and organic standards. Its annual revenue is estimated at
7 billion VND (296,861 USD).
Red pomelo is an indigenous plant variety of Hoa Binh,
cultivated by the people of Tan Lac’s Dong Lai commune since the 60s of the
last century. In 2014, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
recognised the Hoa Binh red pomelo plant variety. In 2016, the provincial
People's Committee approved a project to develop red pomelo production in the
three districts of Tan Lac, Lac Son, and Kim Boi, with the scale targeted to
reach 2,000 ha by 2020. In 2017, the National Office of Intellectual Property
issued a trademark certificate for the Tan Lac red pomelo.
To date, Tan Lac’s total area under the citrus trees is approximately
2,600 ha, including 240ha of red pomelo with VietGap and organic certification
and 140ha. The locality is home to six red pomelo growing areas granted codes
according to standards for export to the EU.
Nguyen Hong Yen, Director of the provincial Sub-Department
of Cultivation and Plant Protection said that after two-year since the signing
of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, only 10 batches of pomelos weighing
over 200 tonnes were exported to the UK, most of them green-skinned pomelos
from southern provinces.
The shipment of Tan Lac red pomelo is a great source of
encouragement for future batches toward making export a distribution channel
for Hoa Binh’s key products./.
After more than four years of implementing a project launched by the Hoa Binh Party Committee’s Standing Board on developing agriculture and promoting product consumption linked with building new-style rural areas for the 2021-2025 period, the province’s industry and trade sector has made significant strides, greatly contributing to local socio-economic development.
Luong Son district has identified 2025 as the year for the accelerated breakthrough to successfully implement the socio-economic development plan for the 5-year period from 2021 to 2025. The district has been focusing on executing the plans and trying to achieve a GRDP growth rate of approximately 15%.
Since the beginning of this year, under the direction of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Sub-Department of Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Product Quality Management has strengthened the integration of the professional activities to promote and guide the organizations and individuals in the production and trading of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to comply with the legal regulations regarding the use of chemicals, pesticides and veterinary medicines in crop cultivation, livestock farming and aquaculture. They also provide guidance to processing and manufacturing establishments on keeping the records to trace the product origins and using food additives from the approved list according to the regulations.
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