Some years ago, Dragon Fruit or Thanh Long in Vietnamese was a mysterious and exotic fruit for Western people while Chinese people had consumed the fruit for their wellness. Nowadays, things have completely changed. Vietnamese Dragon Fruits are exported to many foreign countries including some most demanding markets such as America and Australia.
Why are Vietnamese Dragon Fruit well-known worldwide? Are there any difficulties or challenges on the way to conquer more foreign markets?
Before going any further to the topic, let’s start with some general information about the Dragon Fruit (or Pitaya).
Introduction to the Dragon Fruits
If you are not familiar with the name “Dragon Fruit”, you may know “Pitaya or Pitahaya”. According to many historians, this kind of fruit originated in Central America and it is now grown mainly in Southeast Asia.
Dragon Fruits belong to Cactus family called Hylocereus. Thus, Pitayas have to be cultivated in fertile soil with irrigation. They need bright sunshine and rainfall should not be more than 2500 mm per year. This is why Dragon Fruits can obtain high yield and quality in Vietnam thanks to the tropical climate conditions, especially in Binh Thuan Province.
But
Do you know why the Dragon Fruit is driving a rapid rise in the global market? The answer is that it is an ultra-healthy and ultra-tasty fruit. In fact, Chinese people have been using this fruit as an aid for their digestive system and some other illnesses.
Health benefits of Pitaya
Promote the human digestive system
Dragon Fruits are high in fiber, which contributes to bowel regularity and prevents constipation.
Boost the Immune System
The Pitaya has a great concentration of Vitamin C. It is a well-known vitamin for boosting the human immune system and protecting the human body from infections.
Prevent cancer
Antioxidants in the Dragon Fruits can help the human body to kill harmful free radicals, which cause human cells and DNA to be damaged. Thus, the fruit is an aid for cancer prevention.
Lower blood glucose for Diabetes
The Pitaya is one of the fruits that are able to control the blood glucose level for Diabetes. In Taiwan, most doctors urge their patients to consume this fruit regularly.
Control Cholesterol levels
The fruit flesh offers plenty of health benefits and the tiny black seeds are also a source of vitamins. The seeds provide Omega-3 fats and mono-unsaturated fats, which helps to control the cholesterol level in the body.
It is not surprising that Dragon Fruits accounted for 32% of the total export value of Vietnamese vegetables and fruits.
Dragon Fruit Production and Achievements in Vietnam
- Production
Thanks to the tropical climate conditions, Vietnam has the largest area and output of Dragon Fruits in Asia and is now the leading exporter of this fruit in the global markets.
There are three main large-scale intensive farming in Vietnam: Binh Thuan, Tien Giang, and Long An. The production at these three provinces accounts for 96% of the country’s output.
The Pitaya grown in Vietnam has two main cultivars: Red/Pink skin with white flesh and Red/Pink skin with red flesh.
The red flesh accounts for only 5% of the production while the rest of 95% is for the white flesh. In contrast, the red flesh is exported with a higher price of 40,000VNĐ per kilogram compared to 20,000VNĐ per kilogram of the white flesh.
- Achievements
Vietnamese Dragon Fruits are now exported to more than 40 countries including some most demanding markets in the world such as America, Australia, etc.
China is the first export market of dragon fruits in Vietnam and the United States is listed as the second largest market.
In 2018, the total exports reached US$427 million, which is a year-on-year increase of about 9%.
Unfortunately, Vietnamese Dragon Fruits are recently facing some difficulties and challenges, which can devalue the fruits on the export markets.
Difficulties and challenges of Vietnamese Dragon Fruits
The quality of the Pitayas grown in Vietnam are highly appreciated but the technology of packing, preserving and processing of Vietnam are still outdated leading to the reduction in the competitiveness of the Vietnamese products.
China remains the largest importer of Vietnamese Dragon Fruits; thus, the local farmers depend mainly on this market, which will be high risk for Dragon Fruit production.
In recent years, Vietnamese Dragon Fruits suffer some losses due to brown spot disease, natural disasters.
In order to overcome these current obstacles, a professional company as Eco Fruits Co.Ltd specializing in exporting high-quality agriculture products was founded with an aim to bring the best harmony of benefits among four parties: customers – importers – farmers – exporters.
In conclusion, Vietnamese agricultural products are able to compete with any products from other countries. Apart from Vietnamese Dragon Fruits, there are also Vietnamese Green Cavendish Bananas, Vietnamese Durian RI6. Eco Fruits Co.Ltd commits to contribute to the growth of Vietnam’s agriculture.
