Hanoi (VNA) - In recent years, fruit farmers have applied science and technolo🦂gy to cult☂ivation in an effort to improve productivity, fruit quality, and income value.

Numerous large-scale, concentrated production areas have been formed, serving both domestic demand and export. The Plant Protection and Production Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that the northern midland and mountainous regions have about 271,900 hectares of fruit trees, accounting for 21.4% of the country’s total. Farmers have adopted advanced cultivation processes, including more than 3,000 hectares of banana, over 3,400 hectares of longan, 4,172 hectares of orange, and more than 10,000 hectares of pomelo. There are 20,700 hectares of fruit trees certified under VietGAP and equivalent standards, and 67 hectares meeting organic standards. However, according to the department, fruit cultivation in these regions is facing difficulties due to the common small-scale and scattered production, which affects quality management, traceability, and product sales. Traditional irrigation methods remain popular, and water-saving drip irrigation technology is not yet widely applied. Many businesses have not developed raw material areas but mainly collect produce through traders, resulting in uneven quality and high risk. Phan Huy Thong, Vice President of the Vietnam Gardening Association, commented that much of the cultivation area is on overly steep or poor-quality land, and unreliable irrigation sources affect productivity and product quality. Additionally, the quality of seedlings and materials is not strictly controlled, and the number of growing areas with traceability codes remains limited. According to experts, in the coming period, ministries, sectors, and localities should prioritise the selection and restoration of indigenous and local specialty varieties, and continue to invest in and restructure fruit crops toward high quality, good yield, and disease and pest resistance. It is essential to focus on applying high technology in production; expanding the area under VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic, circular, and ecological farming standards; and applying digital technology in product management and traceability to enhance transparency and build consumer trust./.