Ninh Thuận makes use of high-tech to enhance value of grape products

Products made from Ninh Thuận’s grapes. -— VNA/VNS Photo

NINH THUẬN — Ninh Thuận Province, the country’s largest supplier of many varieties of grapes, is focusing on technology transfer and high-tech application to produce and process a wide range of high value grape products.

Many businesses and co-operative groups in Ninh Thuận are focusing on forming linkage chains in production, and researching products made from fresh grapes to increase their profitability.

According to Nguyễn Đình Quang, Director of Thái Thuận Agricultural Products Trading and Production Company Limited in Ninh Sơn District, the company works closely with other parties in the production and buying of fresh grapes and apples.

In addition, his company cooperates with agricultural product processing research institutes and food technology institutes for technology transfer of grape and apple processing tech.

Meanwhile, the company invested in advanced production machinery systems, thanks to government support, he added.

Every year, the company supplies around 180 tonnes of fresh grapes and 150 tonnes of processed grape products, such as raisin, wine, Brandy, syrup, and vinegar.

There are four four-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) goods and two three-star products.

According to Ninh Thuận’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, through agricultural development programmes and projects, Ninh Thuận has cooperated with scientific agencies to transfer technology for processing and preserving harvested grapes, drying lines for agricultural products, wine-processing models, and cold storage.

The province is developing a wide range of deep processing products, expanding its market, and meeting customer demands.

Demand for fresh grapes is very high, especially high quality, large size grapes. Therefore, farming households in Ninh Thuận have expanded their production and planted new grape varieties. 

Farmer Tống Minh Hoàng in Ninh Phước District, said that his farm is growing 10 varieties such as Black Finger, Summer Royal Black, and so on, which produce outstanding economic efficiency.

Along with selling grapes, Hoàng Yến vineyard is also welcoming visitors to sightsee and try new grape varieties right on its farm.

To advance productivity, Ninh Thuận has built many grape value chains and 30ha of large-scale grape fields, issued five planting area codes for nearly 73ha of farmland, and expanded growing areas that follow VietGAP standard to 214ha.

Localities are actively applying high-tech in accordance with VietGAP standards to grow new varieties of high-quality seedless grapes, as well as planting grapes in plastic greenhouse and using automatic watering systems.

The grape growing areas that apply high-tech currently make up 31 per cent of the whole area in the province. Revenue for these grapes each year is from VNĐ1 billion (US$41,000) to VNĐ1.2 billion (US$49,500) per hectare.

Ninh Thuận plans to have 1,770ha of grape farming area and output of 44,200 tonnes by 2025. Areas following VietGAP, GlobalGAP, and organic standards will be nearly 28,000 tonnes.

By 2030, it will have 2,000 hectares of farms and 51,300 tonnes of output.

Đặng Kim Cương, Ninh Thuận Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s director, said that the department is proposing the province to issue policies to facilitate agriculture development and the application of high-tech production to attract investment in infrastructure in key grapes-growing areas.

Ninh Thuận province continues to expand grape farming areas and support farmers through infrastructure investment and helping them and co-operative groups acquire VietGAP certificates. 

The department cooperates with localities to transfer farming areas that are growing low-profit crops into grape farms, teaching farmers better farming models, improving the capability of co-operative groups, and encouraging businesses to invest in grape production.

It will also continue to research grape production methods to grow grapes in a safe, high quality, environmentally friendly way. 

To boost their competitiveness, businesses are focusing more on processing, improving packaging, and enhancing product quality.

The province will continue to develop its “Ninh Thuận grape” geographical indicator, using origin traceability stamps to protect its brand.

In addition, this province will actively support grape-producing businesses to participate in trade promotion programmes to introduce and promote products to connect to domestic and export markets. — VNS