Nafoods passion fruit awarded Vietnam Agricultural Gold Brand for years

Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of the Nafoods Group, received the "Vietnam Agricultural Gold Brand" award for their high-tech passion fruit seedlings at an awards ceremony hosted by the Vietnam Farmers' Union and Rural Development Association on 25 October 2023.

Vietnam Farmers' Union and Rural Development Association have organized the "Vietnam Agricultural Gold Brand" survey and award program for the ninth consecutive year. The purpose of the program is to recognize the contributions of enterprises to the nation's agriculture and agricultural areas. It also enhances the repute and credibility of these businesses in the marketplace and reaffirms the value of the trademarks for a variety of Vietnamese agricultural products sold on both domestic and international markets.

In recent years, according to the coordinators, Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company has made significant contributions to the region's socioeconomic development, which is closely tied to agricultural development. This is the second year in a row that the company's high-quality passion fruit seedlings have been selected and recognized as a product with high quality, value, and excellent development potential, earning them the title "Vietnam Agricultural Gold Brand."

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has granted Nafoods exclusive protection rights for being the first company in Vietnam to effectively create passion fruit varieties through hybridization. Currently, the company supplies the market with a number of passion fruit varieties, including Dai Nong 1, Nafoods 1, Que Phong 1, and Tai non One. Each variety possesses exceptional and distinct characteristics, making it suitable for a variety of cultivation conditions and purposes.

The Nafoods passion fruit cultivars share the advantages of robust growth and development, rapid maturation, and high insect and disease resistance. Specifically, these plants produce a high yield, fruits of superior quality and size, a high nutrient content, firm fruit coverings, attractive color, and a distinct, pleasing aroma. Notably, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has granted protection rights and market circulation permits for the passion fruit varieties Que Phong 1 and Nafoods 1, both of which were developed by Nafoods through research and production.

The following are the distinguishing characteristics of each variety:

- Taiwan transferred production technology for the Dai Nong 1 variety to the Nafoods High-tech Crop Production Research Institute. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An Province has recognized Nafoods for "Decision to Acknowledge First-Line Passion Fruit Plants" and "Decision to Certify First-Line Passion Fruit Orchards."

With an average fruit harvest of 30 to 40 tons/ha/season, Dai Nong 1 has a high degree of productivity. When mature, the fruits have a deep purple hue and a distinct, agreeable aroma, which makes them popular in the markets of Europe, China, Thailand, and Cambodia.

Nafoods has deployed virus-resistant technology to passion fruit plants of the Tainon One variety, which was transmitted directly to Nafoods from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan. As a consequence, when these seedlings are planted in their natural habitats, they are better able to adapt and resist parasites and diseases.

The Tainon One variety is favored by many farmers in the provinces of Tay Nguyen and Northwest Vietnam due to its adaptability, high productivity, and exceptional disease resistance. Additionally, Nafoods has exported a substantial quantity of Tainon One passion fruit seedlings to the Lao market.

The Nafoods 1 passion fruit variety is notable for its lack of grafting requirements, robust growth, and brief 6-8 month development period prior to harvest. The marketable fruit from the Nafoods 1 variety also possesses numerous quality advantages, including a naturally sweet and slightly sour flavor and a Brix level of over 17%, thereby satisfying diverse domestic and international consumer demands for fresh fruit.

The Nafoods 1 variety is currently cultivated in collaborative linkage areas with the corporation, with an expansion of cultivation areas planned. The company purchases and distributes only this variety of delicious purple passion fruit.

The Que Phong 1 passion fruit variety, on the other hand, yields high productivity, exceptionally large fruits (120-146 grams per fruit), distinctive characteristics, and tough fruit skins that facilitate storage and transportation without compromising the fruit's appearance or quality.

Thus, fresh Que Phong 1 passion fruit is frequently selected for export to distant markets such as Europe, Russia, and the United States.

The Nafoods Passion Fruit Joint Stock Company, in particular, and the Nafoods Group as a whole are proud to be Vietnam's leading producer of passion fruit seedlings.

In the near future, the company will continue to prioritize quality in its research and development of numerous passion fruit varieties and other seedlings. This shared objective is to contribute to the sustainable growth of the passion fruit industry and to deliver the greatest value to Vietnamese producers and the agricultural sector.