Under the five-year project, the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd. will cooperate with Vietnamese experts from the Southern Fruit Research Institute (SOFRI) and the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural and Post-Harvest Technology (VIAEP) to produce high-quality and disease resistant varieties.

The NZ side will provide its expertise in post-harvest preservation and transfer sustainable production technology, helping Vietnam meet global demanding consumer tastes, and raise incomes of local farmersas well as those involved in the dragon fruit supply chain. It will also train local farmers and packaging workers, aiming to increase the efficiency of production modes and product quality. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd. expects the plan will be a representative model of effective cooperation for other countries in developing tropical fruits and building brand names in the world market.

VOV