Phuc Trach pomelo reaches the international market

Huong Khe is a mountainous district to the southwest of Ha Tinh. The district is widely known for its specialty Phuc Trach pomelo. A certificate of geographical indication registration has been granted by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam for "Phuc Trach" specialty pomelo product. The geographical area includes 19 communes in Huong Khe district, Ha Tinh province. Phuc Trach pomelo is also one of 39 Vietnamese geographical indications that the EU has committed to protect starting from August 1, 2020.

Huong Khe district has implemented various policies and solutions to expand the area, increase productivity, as well as apply scientific and technical advances to the production of high-quality pomelo. The area of pomelos grown across 19 communes accumulates to a total of 2,714 hectares; 1,920  hectares of which have been harvested with an output of over 23,000 tons and a yield of over 12 tons/hectare. There are 122 Phuc Trach pomelo production cooperative groups with more than 730 hectares meeting VietGap standards, 1 cooperative group has been certified according to GlobalGAP standards.

Mr. Phan Ky, Vice Chairman of Huong Khe District People's Committee, reported that the district has encouraged producers to implement organic farming models to improve quality and appearance of pomelos in order to sustainably develop this key product. In addition, the District has coordinated with departments in the province to organize trade promotion workshops and apply digital transformation for product traceability. The synchronous implementation of different solutions has not only brought Phuc Trach specialty pomelo into the supermarket system, but also opened up opportunities to reach out to the international market.

"We are currently finalizing the procedures to export pomelo to different countries in the region", said Mr. Ky.

10 hectares of pomelos belonging to Anh Quan cooperative group in Phuc Trach commune were the first areas in Ha Tinh province to be certified according to GlobalGap standards. This accomplishment requires the owner of the facility to have a professional and methodical production process as well as a strict application of care measures. In addition to investments in standard facilities, farmers working on the farm must be equipped with excellent knowledge and a scientific approach to problems.

Mr. Tran Dinh Nhi, member of Phuc Trach Anh Quan pomelo production cooperative group emphasized: "There are 194 different criteria for safety indicators in the GlobalGAP production process, so all of the production stages must be performed scientifically, orderly, and completely eliminating traditional farming methods. At the moment, our pomelos are mainly sold through e-commerce platforms and supermarkets. In the near future, we will finalize the procedures to export to the United States and the EU.”

In addition to improving product quality, Huong Khe District People's Committee has promoted digital transformation in agriculture. The district aims to build a traceability system for Phuc Trach pomelo trees at https://buoiphuctrach.gov.vn to promote transparent information to consumers, with the participatio of nearly 3,000 members.

From 2021, Huong Khe district worked with the Vietnam E-Commerce and Digital Economy Agency under Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Central Youth Union, the Departments of Industry and Trade in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, e-commerce platforms, and logistics units to establish consumtion linkages for Phuc Trach pomelo. As a result, Phuc Trach pomelo has been listed on several e-commerce platforms including: Postmart.vn, voso.vn, hatiplaza.com, shopee, lazada, sendo, etc. and supermarket systems such as: Winmart in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, BigC Thang Long supermarket with a total volume of 218 tons.

Huong Khe district continued to promote the trade and consumption linkage of Phuc Trach pomelo at the end of August 2022 directly at the district People's Committee bridge point as well as online to 500 bridge points via the Zoom online meeting software.

At this Workshop, Huong Khe district has proceeded to sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with various e-commerce platforms including Postmart.vn (Vietnam Post Corporation), Voso.vn (Viettel Post Corporation), Co.opmart Ha Tinh, CED CENTRAL and Ha Tinh e-commerce floor to promote the consumption of Phuc Trach pomelo cooperatively.

Mr. Dang Ngoc Son, Vice Chairman of Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee expressed his wish for central ministries and branches; Departments of Industry and Trade in different provinces; news agencies, press; Distributors, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms to continue to support Ha Tinh province in promoting, and consuming Phuc Trach pomelo as well as other Ha Tinh's agricultural products in the domestic and international markets.