Quality breeding creates bumper passion fruit harvests

Passion fruit is asserting its position as a key fruit tree in the Central Highlands thanks to its short growth cycle, high yield, and suitability for various ecological zones. Capitalizing on this advantage, Sesan Gia Lai Agriculture One Member Company Limited (Dien Phu Industrial Park, Pleiku ward) has successfully researched and produced two passion fruit varieties: Dai Nong 1 Duc Dien and Summit Duc Dien. These passion fruit breeding brands are highly evaluated by farmers for their superior disease resistance and impressive yields.

Heavy-laden orchards and the risk of trellis collapse

Actual production records in passion fruit growing regions show that the two passion fruit varieties from Duc Dien have been bringing outstanding income for farmers, even when cultivated under intercropping models.

In Dak Rong commune, the model of intercropping 500 Summit Duc Dien passion fruit trees within a coffee and durian orchard owned by Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan is proving highly efficient. Despite just entering its second harvest phase, the passion fruit orchard is projected to produce 16 to 18 tons of fruit. According to current records, Mr. Tuan has not yet finished harvesting the second batch, but it has already exceeded expectations. Thanks to the application of a systematic care process and stable breeding quality, over 85% of the output meets export standards for the European market.

“This is the first time I have planted the Summit Duc Dien variety, and the results are truly beyond expectations. The trees grow very vigorously with almost no pests or diseases. Looking at the heavy-laden orchard like this, my family is very excited,” Mr. Tuan shared.

Similarly, the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Thang (Dak Doa commune), who has been attached to the Duc Dien brand of passion fruit for many years, also achieved impressive results with their production model. According to Mr. Thang, Duc Dien passion fruit breeding lines consistently demonstrate advantages by yielding high fruit-set rates and uniform fruit quality. In particular, the fruit grows in dense clusters, creating prolific, heavily laden orchards.

Mr. Thang stated that because the passion fruit orchard is so heavy with fruit, his family has to reinforce the support posts in a hurry as harvest approaches to avoid the trellis collapsing.

"Last year, at the peak, there were harvest stints where my wife and I earned 100 million VND in just 3 days with only 4 people harvesting," Mr. Thang shared.

The Dai Nong 1 Duc Dien passion fruit model of Mr. Phan Phong's family (Chu Prong commune) concluded a successful crop season with uniform output and fruit quality. Across a total of 110 trees, each tree is estimated to yield 400 to 500 fruits. By mastering care techniques, Mr. Phong's orchard maintained stable performance, producing nearly 5 tons of fruit per harvest. The dense fruit load overloaded the weight of the orchard, causing parts of the trellis to collapse, forcing Mr. Phong to mobilize labor to promptly prop it up and protect the harvest.

Accompanying farmers from breeding to techniques

The current achievements of farmers have proven the correct direction of Sesan Gia Lai Agriculture One Member Company Limited in supplying high-quality breeding sources. Transforming and selecting standard passion fruit varieties such as Dai Nong 1 Duc Dien and Summit Duc Dien not only helps farmers minimize disease risks and improve yields but also opens the door to official exports to demanding markets worldwide.

Among them, thanks to its multiple advantages, the Dai Nong 1 Duc Dien passion fruit variety has currently dominated the market in key regions such as the Central Highlands, the Southwest, and the Northwest, while expanding its cultivation into Laos. Each year, the enterprise supplies 1.8 to 2 million high-quality breeding saplings through a system of more than 500 distribution agents spanning across the country.

Ms. Vo Tran Bich Hanh, director of Sesan Gia Lai Agriculture One Member Company Limited, stated that to accompany farmers, the company commits to providing disease-free breeding sources and technical consulting services to the people.

Sesan Gia Lai focuses on investing in international cooperation, receiving advanced production technology transfer from professors at National Chung Hsing University (Taiwan) right in the capital of Gia Lai.

“Alongside the quality factor, information transparency is thoroughly implemented by the unit. The application of a traceability system helps people easily identify and access authentic Duc Dien products. Accordingly, each QR code attached to a breeding tree acts as an 'identity card', displaying full data from the production unit and planting date to the care log. This is a strategic step to guarantee benefits for farmers, helping them feel secure when planting passion fruit with a clear, quality-standard breeding source,” Ms. Hanh shared.

$ 1 = VND 26,442 - Source: Vietcombank.