Tien Giang centre pushes Delta fruit exports

Tien Giang (VNA) - The investment promotion centre of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has over the last two years succeeded in developing export markets for locally grown fruit.

The major international markets that now consume the delta's specialty fruits
include Russia , Germany , the US and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Le Quang Ninh, head of the centre's Export Promotion Division, said eight special
fruits - Lo Ren star apple, Hoa Loc mango, Chu mango, Cho Gao dragon fruit,
small-seeded longan, Ngu Hiep durian and green-skinned pomelo- had been introduced
to RoK last month.

"We chose to promote these fruits because most of them are cultivated under the
Global Gap (Global Good Agriculture Practice) standard," Ninh said, adding that
the fruits have also been exported to Russia and Japan .

According to him, RoK importers have agreed to import Lo Ren star apple, Hoa Loc
mango and Ngu Hiep durian.

Phan Quoc Nam , director of the centre, said the idea of promoting fruit exports
from the delta came to him when he saw farmers having to sell their fruits at low
prices because of competition from Thai and Chinese imports.

"I asked myself why can't I take advantage of the opportunity to promote the
delta's fruits to overseas markets to help farmers increase their income," Nam
said.

Nam 's idea was enthusiastically embraced by his colleagues, most of whom live in
rural areas and sympathise with the difficulties of fruit growers.

They chose Russia as their first market. "If we successfully export fruits to
Russia , we can easily expand exports to other European countries," Nam said

In September 2006, the first batch of Cat Chu mangoes was exported to Russia .
The centre now sends an average of 600-700 kg of Cat Chu mango a week to Russia .

After Cat Chu mango, the centre continued to introduce other fruits to Russia ,
including Cho Gao dragon fruit, Lo Ren apple star, small-seeded longan and
papaya.-Enditem