Honey-scented yellow passion fruit: Sweetness from clean agriculture

(GLO)- Produced organically and meeting 3-star OCOP standards, honey-scented golden passion fruit grown at the foot of Chu Nam mountain (Chu Dang Ya commune, Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province) has conquered the market.

This model has helped many farming households change their production mindset, confidently doing clean agriculture without having to worry about output.

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From Bien Ho tea hill, following the concrete road winding around the slope, we arrived at Ko village (Chu Dang Ya commune), where organic yellow passion fruit gardens are in harvest season. This is a model implemented by the Chu Nam Agriculture-Service -Tourism Cooperative (HTX) since 2023.

According to Deputy Director of the Cooperative Pham Van Ben, the idea of ​​growing yellow passion fruit came from the Cooperative's search for a crop that was different, suitable for local soil and climate, and had high economic value.

“We have surveyed many models, in which the honey-scented yellow passion fruit variety is very suitable for the Chu Dang Ya area. The red basalt soil, moderate altitude, and cool climate are ideal conditions for this plant variety to grow, especially when applying organic farming techniques, the fruit quality is superior to many other areas,” Mr. Ben shared.

Unlike the purple passion fruit variety that has been popular for many years in Gia Lai but has an unstable output, the yellow passion fruit has only recently been developed and has demonstrated its clear potential. With thick skin, a lot of flesh, a mild sweetness and a honey aroma, this passion fruit variety can be eaten directly without sugar, making it very popular with consumers.

Initially, some members of the cooperative participated in the pilot model. But after one harvest, the quality of the fruit and the economic efficiency created the motivation to replicate the model. One of the pioneers was Ms. Pham Thi Thuong (Ko village). From a few hundred initial trees, her family expanded the area to nearly 2 hectares.

“In the past, we grew purple passion fruit but the price was erratic, one year it was profitable, the other was not. With yellow passion fruit, the selling price is always stable, the lowest is 15,000 VND/kg, and it is easy to consume. This type of passion fruit can also be sold directly to consumers, not depending on traders because of its high quality and safety,” Ms. Thuong shared.

Mr. Do Van Phuoc (Ko village, Chu Dang Ya commune, Chu Pah district) planted 1 hectare of yellow passion fruit. Photo: NS

Mr. Do Van Phuoc - Cooperative member - said: "My family has planted 2 hectares of yellow passion fruit, just finished harvesting and is currently improving the land to plant 1 new hectare. Seeing the obvious effectiveness, the villagers asked for seeds to plant."

Not only creating economic value for each household, the organic yellow passion fruit model of the Chu Nam Agriculture-Service-Tourism Cooperative is also a "boost" for the movement to develop clean agriculture in the locality. Currently, the Cooperative has 20 members participating in planting, with a total area of ​​about 50 hectares and is continuing to expand according to market demand.

OCOP is the "lever"

According to Mr. Ben, the rainy season in the Central Highlands is long, easily causing waterlogging and root rot for passion fruit plants. Therefore, all gardens must have raised beds to drain water. The gardens are fertilized entirely with organic fertilizers such as earthworms, decomposed cow manure, and microbial soil. Weeds are not eradicated but allowed to grow naturally, helping to retain moisture and improve the soil.

“Only when the soil is healthy can the plants be healthy and the fruit delicious. We use shrimp fertilizer to supplement the young plants to stimulate growth, without using chemicals or pesticides. Each plant is planted 1-2 meters apart to ensure enough light and ventilation, limiting natural pests and diseases,” said Mr. Ben.

Thanks to the meticulous care process, 1 hectare of yellow passion fruit can yield about 50 tons/crop, equivalent to each tree producing more than 10 kg of fruit. In particular, the rate of grade 1 fruit is high due to good size and uniformity, helping to stabilize the value obtained.

An important step to help organic yellow passion fruit products affirm their position is to be recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards. This is not only a recognition of product quality, but also a "passport" to access modern distribution channels.

Currently, the cooperative's yellow passion fruit products have been tested for food safety indicators, meeting the requirements for distribution to supermarkets, shopping centers and clean agricultural product stores.

“Customers who tried the product all praised it as delicious, then came back to order and recommend it to their friends. There were times when we didn’t have enough products to supply,” Mr. Ben confided.

Ms. Pham Thi Thuong (Ko village, Chu Dang Ya commune) harvests passion fruit. Photo: NS

According to Ms. Thuong, in addition to the provincial market, many sources from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, etc. have also come to purchase, but the cooperative does not have enough output to supply. "As long as the production is in the right organic direction, the fruit is big and beautiful, it can be sold immediately, no need to worry about output" - Ms. Thuong affirmed.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Tran Dac Thang - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Chu Pah district - said: The honey-flavored golden passion fruit variety is not only suitable for Gia Lai land but also has its own flavor, easy to create a brand. In particular, organic production is an inevitable trend, so we highly appreciate the model of the Chu Nam Agriculture-Service-Tourism Cooperative.

Products meeting OCOP standards are the basis for developing concentrated raw material areas, with links and stable output. Currently, the locality is planning to support the expansion of the model, linking the value chain from production-processing-packaging to consumption. At the same time, other cooperatives are encouraged to learn and replicate the organic passion fruit model, especially fruit trees that can be eaten directly.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/chanh-day-vang-huong-mat-ong-vi-ngot-tu-nong-nghiep-sach-post329899.html