The appeal of MST pink plums is clearly shown through a series of video reviews on TikTok. Many TikTokers are not afraid to spend money to experience unique flavors, some even spend nearly 200,000 VND to buy 4 plums. Many YouTubers have even gone to points of sale and gardeners in the West to "report" this special fruit, creating a strong wave of spread on online platforms.
Many "MST pink plum" groups have been established on social networks, attracting dozens, even hundreds of members to participate. Here, people exchange, buy and sell seedlings and fruits, share experiences in caring for this type of plum, showing special attention to the new plum variety.
According to records, currently, the price of MST pink plums in the garden ranges from 70,000 - 90,000 VND/kg for the type of rice (the left is not selected), while the right type can be over 120,000 VND/kg. In the distribution stage, many traders hunt for first-class goods to sell at 150,000 - 200,000 VND/kg at unit markets and clean fruit stores.
According to gardener Tran Anh Nhan - Director of My Phuoc High-Tech Application and Community Tourism Cooperative (Ke Sach District, Soc Trang Province), the reason for this "fever" is that MST pink plum has outstanding advantages over conventional plums.
" MST pink plums have a beautiful color, when young they are light pink, when cooked they are dark red; large fruits, crispy meat, broth and characteristic sweetness. The brix (sweetness) of the ripe fruit can sometimes be up to 14.2 while other plums are usually slightly sour and have a lower sugar content," Mr. Nhan emphasized.
Mr. Nhan added that this plum variety adapts well to soil and local climates, grows well, grows well, and is highly productive. The fruit tree is almost all year round, the tree always has enough ripe fruit, medium fruit and flower buds, and is harvested continuously. The weight of the fruit is also very impressive, averaging 6-9 fruits/kg, even some fruits are only 4 fruits/kg. Thanks to these advantages, the Cooperative has expanded the area from the initial more than 100 seedlings to 25 hectares after more than 6 years of planting.
Mr. Nhan said that the Cooperative is cultivating completely in an organic direction, not using fertilizers, pesticides, or natural fruits. When picking the flowers, wrap the entire cotton cluster, until the fruit is about as big as the tip of the big finger, then pick it, then wrap it with a paper bag to harvest. It is expected that in 2025, OCOP products and a clear traceability system will be built, ensuring quality for consumers.
However, Mr. Nhan also recommends that although MST pink plums have many advantages, plums are a "playing" fruit with a short storage time. Massive planting without stable output can lead to the risk of supply exceeding demand. "Unlike longan, grapefruit can be kept on the plant for a few days when the price is low, and when ripe, the plums will cracked and spoiled, causing prices to drop," Mr. Nhan noted.
Mr. Nhan said that farmers need to link together to create a growing area that is large enough and follow the process for export, thereby increasing product value, avoiding the situation of "losing prices in the crop" when the growing area is expanded.
Currently, in Soc Trang province, there are about a few dozen hectares of MST pink plum trees. The functional sector is carrying out procedures to certify upstream trees, survey and recognize concentrated growing areas and build a model garden model associated with community ecotourism.
In addition to Soc Trang, provinces such as Ben Tre, Vinh Long and Can Tho have also begun to expand the growing area of this new plum variety.
