Vietnam and China have signed a phytosanitary protocol for Vietnam’s grapefruits. This opens up opportunities for official exports to a market of 1.4 billion people. Dong Nai is focusing on standardizing cultivation areas and improving agricultural product quality. This is being done through a sustainable and professional value chain linkage model.
At the conference titled “Developing Dong Nai Pomelo Value Chains Linked with Domestic Market Promotion and Export Expansion,” experts highlighted numerous challenges. These challenges relate to realizing export ambitions for the fruit.
Dong Nai currently holds significant advantages in cultivation scale. It has more than 10,875 hectares and an annual output of nearly 163,000 tons. Of this, green-skin pomelo accounts for 86%. This makes it the dominant variety with strong potential for international markets.
The locality has also built the reputation of Tan Trieu pomelo, which was granted a geographical indication in 2012. In addition, several growing areas have already approved for export to demanding markets such as New Zealand.
Vietnam’s grapefruits
Despite this strong foundation in production scale and brand recognition, local production of still faces several constraints. Most cultivation of Vietnam’s grapefruits remains small-scale and fragmented. It fails to fully meet strict requirements on planting area codes and traceability systems.
In addition, many farmers still lack effective control over pesticide residues. This results in inconsistent product quality. It also creates difficulties for Vietnamese fruit enterprises in sourcing and exporting products. At the same time, it limits access to modern distribution systems that require high consistency in appearance and size.
Lê Viết Bình is the Deputy Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for the southern region. He emphasized that market opening is only the first step. According to him, the biggest challenge for Vietnam’s grapefruits is not production volume. It is the ability to meet increasingly stringent import requirements.
Therefore, sustainable competitiveness requires creating real value through strict quality control starting from the production stage. At the same time, weak linkages from raw material zones to consumption channels are undermining competitiveness in global agricultural markets.
Experts note that the key paradox today is that export opportunities are expanding. However, many farmers are still unable to fully benefit from value-added gains due to weak coordination. Fragmented production leaves farmers dependent on traders for distribution. This puts them in a passive position.
To escape the “low-value trap,” Vietnamese pomelo sector needs a fundamental shift in production mindset. Maintaining traditional farming practices will make it difficult to meet technical requirements of high-end markets. This bottleneck must be addressed if Dong Nai pomelo is to expand its presence in global markets.
Vietnamese grapefruit box
Ms. Trần Thị Minh Hà is the Chairwoman of the Vietnam Agribusiness Club. To address challenges related to quality and market access, she emphasized a shift in mindset. Modern agriculture must move from a “produce what we have” approach to a “produce what the market needs” approach.
According to her, Vietnam’s grapefruits intended for export cannot stand alone. They should embed within a complete value chain. Today’s markets demand not only good taste. They also require planting area codes, standardized cultivation processes, and stable supply capacity. In this context, the “six stakeholders” linkage model—including regulators, scientists, farmers, cooperatives, enterprises, and distribution–financial institutions—is an optimal solution.
Applying this model helps establish large-scale, uniform raw material zones. These zones are capable of meeting strict import requirements. Currently, Dong Nai has developed 36 cooperative-based production chains. It also has several effective units such as Tan Trieu Cooperative and Hong Nip Cooperative.
This serves as an important foundation for building concentrated production areas and improving competitiveness. When all links—from cultivation zones and cooperatives to enterprises and distribution systems—have closely connected, the value added of pomelo can be fully optimized. This creates better overall efficiency in the value chain.
Vietnamese grapefruit materials
Ms. Lê Thị Ánh Tuyết is the Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Department of Agriculture and Environment. She affirmed that the locality will focus on standardizing production processes according to Vietgap and Globalgap standards. The agricultural sector also commits to accompanying farmers. It will issue timely support policies in terms of capital and technical guidance to promote sustainable development of pomelo production.
In addition, the promotion of deep processing—such as juice, essential oil, and candied pomelo—is considered a strategic direction. It helps diversify products and reduce pressure during peak harvest seasons. The province is also orienting toward agro-tourism development. This aims to create additional sustainable value for local communities.
Mr. Châu Thanh An is the Head of the Rural Development Sub-Department. Looking toward 2030, he stated that Dong Nai prioritizes quality-driven growth rather than quantity-driven expansion. The goal is to maintain a concentrated pomelo-growing area of around 12,700 hectares, with an expected output of 223,000 tons. The focus is on value enhancement rather than indiscriminate expansion.
Memoranda of understanding between production zones, cooperatives, and distribution enterprises will serve as an important stepping stone. These agreements will help farmers gradually reduce dependence on traders. As a result, the position of Dong Nai pomelo in international markets will be strengthened.
Vietnamese source: https://thuonghieusanpham.vn/lien-ket-san-xuat-buoi-mo-duong-xuat-khau-chinh-ngach
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