Although many farms have successfully cultivated red-fleshed dragon fruit, white-fleshed dragon fruit, and yellow-skinned white-fleshed dragon fruit, the Organic Dragon Fruit Cooperative in Bạch Đằng (Kinh Môn, Hải Dương) has achieved success with an organic purple-fleshed dragon fruit variety. Notably, the cooperative’s production model has also received high recognition for its environmental sustainability.
The cooperative’s production model generates annual economic returns worth hundreds of millions of Vietnamese đồng. It also supplies the market with organic dragon fruit that meets food safety and hygiene standards.
After each harvest cycle, dragon fruit growers typically prune unproductive branches every year. These include old or diseased branches, as well as those growing beneath the canopy that receive little or no sunlight. Pruning also helps keep orchards clean, reduces pests and diseases, and encourages the plants to direct more nutrients toward fruit production.
Mr. Nguyễn Văn Thuấn is the Deputy Director of the Bạch Đằng Organic Dragon Fruit Cooperative. He shared that the cooperative previously had to pay around VND 300,000 in labor costs to dispose of every metric ton of pruned dragon fruit branches.
Organic purple-fleshed dragon fruit
Because of the large volume of waste, the branches could not be left piled up in the orchard. As a result, the cooperative had to spend considerable time and effort transporting them elsewhere for disposal.
However, realizing that discarding the branches was wasteful because they could serve as a rich source of organic fertilizer, the cooperative adopted a new approach. During the annual pruning season, the cooperative shred branches with a branch-chipping machine and spread evenly between the rows of dragon fruit plants. Using the machine not only reduces labor and saves time. It also accelerates the decomposition of the shredded branches.
Because dragon fruit cultivation area is pretty large, managing the large volume of pruned branches can be challenging. Without proper treatment, the waste can pollute the environment while also wasting a valuable source of natural fertilizer. Investing in a branch-chipping machine has therefore helped the cooperative protect the environment. It also enriches the soil with organic matter.
“On average, an older dragon fruit plant produces around 50 kilograms of pruned branches. Using a handcart, even the most efficient worker could transport only about one metric ton of branches per day. With the shredding machine, however, farmers can process the same amount in just one hour,” said Deputy Director Nguyễn Văn Thuấn.
Organic dragon fruit farm
Organic dragon fruit cultivation eliminates the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), herbicides, and preservatives. To ensure compliance with organic production standards, the cooperative developed its cultivation process and selected planting materials based on guidance from the Field Crops Research Institute. It chose organic purple-fleshed dragon fruit variety because its more open canopy requires less pruning than other dragon fruit varieties.
Throughout the cultivation process, the cooperative strictly follows organic farming practices. The plants are nourished mainly with well-composted livestock manure mixed with rice husks, while chemical fertilizers and flowering or fruit-setting stimulants are not used. Cooperative members manually carry out weed control.
The orchard produces ripe, red-skinned dragon fruit with relatively small fruit size. However, because it is grown organically, the fruit has a thin peel, high juice content, and deep purple flesh. The flesh is dense, naturally sweet, and refreshing. Even when fully ripe, it retains a pleasantly chewy texture without becoming mushy. This allows the fruit to be stored for a longer period.
Vietnamese source: https://thuonghieusanpham.vn/hai-duong-loi-ich-kinh-te-va-moi-truong-tu-thanh-long-huu-co-ruot-tim
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