On the morning of August 20, Tien Giang University coordinated with THE VOS Ecosystem Joint Stock Company to organize a thematic workshop on Developing a sustainable and low-emission durian value chain in Dong Thap province.
In the Mekong Delta region in general and Dong Thap province in particular, the development of the durian industry is opening up many opportunities to improve production value, increase income for people and participate more deeply in the international market.
However, along with those opportunities are increasingly high requirements for quality, food safety, traceability, phytosanitary and environmental standards.
Moreover, issues such as chemical residues, cadmium, carbon footprints and the requirement to switch to green production and low emissions are gradually becoming important conditions for agricultural products to maintain and expand markets.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Dr. Cao Nguyen Thi, Vice Rector of Tien Giang University - informed that durian development is not just a story about yield or output, but needs to be approached throughout the value chain, from growing areas, farming processes, testing, certification, traceability to processing, trade and market.
At the Conference, delegates will focus on many issues of concern such as the current situation and prospects of durian exports; technical barriers of the market; green consumption trends; product carbon footprints; international testing and certification standards; green credit.
Along with that is discussing biotechnology solutions, IoT, measurement systems, reporting and digital verification and quality control support models in planting areas.
Tien Giang University determines that training and scientific research activities need to be closely linked to practical issues of Dong Thap province and the Mekong Delta region. The school wishes not only to train human resources but also to become a focal point connecting scientific - technological - business - local knowledge, thereby contributing to bringing research results and technology solutions closer to production practice.
As Lao Dong newspaper has reported, Dong Thap province possesses outstanding strengths in agriculture, currently considered the "fruit kingdom" of the country with a total fruit tree area of about 150,000 ha, of which the area for growing durian is up to 34,000 ha.
However, this is also a locality with spontaneous cultivation areas belonging to the top group in the Mekong Delta, especially for durian. The situation of expanding areas outside the planning forces management agencies to review and tighten the planting area code to prevent the wave of massive development, ensure quality and traceability for export.
