Promoting the consumption of custard apples

(LSO) – The province has over 3,200 hectares of custard apples, concentrating in the districts: Chi Lang, Huu Lung with the output of 30,000 tons per year. Currently, authorities, cooperatives and people are focusing on implementing solutions to promote product consumption.

 Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ly, Director of Chi Lang Agricultural Product Cooperative, Chi Lang District, said that this year, in addition to consuming familiar sellers’ custard apples (shops, agents of clean agricultural products in the provinces, cities: Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Hanoi, Nghe An and so on), the Cooperative is actively expanding linkages with some business associations, cooperative groups, and clean agricultural product shops in the provinces from the central region backward, forming a closed chain through e-commerce to supply and consume custard apples. Being proactive in expanding the market, whenever the people harvest custard apples, the Cooperative will buy them all, there is no stagnant situation, the average price stabilizes from 40,000 VND to 45,000 VND per kilogram.

Workers packed custard apples at Chi Lang Agricultural Product Cooperative to send for the consumption in Hanoi market

In ​​Chi Lang district, there are three agricultural product cooperatives buying and consuming custard apples. In addition, every day, dozens of traders from the provinces: Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong and so on come to buy them. In order to promote the consumption of Chi Lang custard apple products, in recent years, Chi Lang district has promoted propaganda on the district radio, the website of the District People’s Committee; coordinated propaganda on channels: VTV16, VTV2 of Vietnam Television, the People’s Television to promote products.

Mr. Luong Thanh Chung, Head of Chi Lang District Agriculture and Rural Development Division said that this year, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the district did not organize Chi Lang Custard Apple Festival, instead the district has promoted propaganda and advertisement on the mass media. At the same time, the district has created favorable conditions for businesses, cooperatives and traders to buy and consume custard apples in the area. In addition, the district provides farmers with about 35,000 packaging boxes, 50,000 traceability stamps to contribute to promoting and consuming custard apples in the area. From the beginning of the crop up to now, custard apples have been harvested and all consumed, the average price is 45,000 VND  per kilogram.

In Huu Lung district, the promotion of the custard apple consumption has been actively implemented. Mr. Chu Ngoc Loi, Dong Lai village, Dong Tan commune, has over 400 custard apple trees for harvesting. If during the last custard apple season, Mr. Loi’s family mainly brought custard apples to the market to sell to traders, this year, his family has promoted advertisement and found consumption contacts on the Internet. Mr. Loi said that through the website, he has found more than seven custard apple consuming contacts, namely clean agricultural product stores in Hanoi. Currently, what he is most concerned with is harvesting and preserving custard apples to ensure their shape, quality, and avoid crushing during transportation.

Currently, the whole province has over 3,200 hectares of custard apples, grown mainly in Chi Lang district (1,800 ha), Huu Lung district (1,500 ha), with the output of over 30,000 tons. Of which, over 800 hectares are grown according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards, the rest of the custard apple cultivating areas are committed to safety standard production, ensuring food safety and hygiene.

Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, Chi Lang Custard Apple Festival (Chi Lang district) and the week to promote and display Chi Lang custard apple products and the province’s specialties were not held in Hanoi as planned. Therefore, Department of Industry and Trade has sent documents to Department of Industry and Trade in provinces and cities across the country about the situation of the current harvest season to inform a large number of businesses and cooperatives for the linkage of buying and consuming custard apples. In addition, on August 21, 2020, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with Chi Lang District, Huu Lung District to hold a conference on Chi Lang custard apple consumption linkages. Thereby, it helps create favorable conditions to promote the consumption of custard apples for farmers.