Herdy La. Yumul, CAS social sciences instructor and CMR Print Media Section chief, and Mr. Leonardo Pascua, ILARRDEC Dragon Fruit Project leader, joined an official delegation led by Governor Imee Marcos in a meeting with agriculture officials in Bin Thuan province in Vietnam, July 16, to learn about best practices in dragon fruit production.

The group was received by Nguyen Ngoc Hung, vice director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Vo Huy Hoang, chief executive of Fruits and Greens Company; and Bui Dang Hung, chairman of the BinhThuan Dragon Fruit Association.

The Vietnamese panel shared their VietGAP or Vietnam Good Agricultural Practices on dragon fruit production, including off-season flowering with the use of light bulbs, cold storage, prolonging of shelf life, packaging, and phytosanitary evaluation.

Initial talks for possible cooperation and sharing of technologies and plant varieties were also made.

Bin Thuan Province produces 70 percent of the total dragon fruit exports from Vietnam, which has penetrated markets in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Bin Thuan’s 12,000 hectares of dragon fruit farms yield over 200,000 tons every year. Ilocos Norte, which aspires to become the dragon fruit capital of the Philippines, only has 60 hectares so far. Popular in Vietnam is the sour-tasting white dragon fruit variety. It is served in most hotels and restaurants.

While Bin Thuan also has a red dragon fruit variety, the group, after a taste test during a farm visit following the meeting, observed that the Ilocos Norte Saniata is far sweeter and juicier. It also has a redder shade.

Other observations made by the group – which included Vice Governor Angelo Barba; Provincial Council members Fidel Cimatu Jr., Rogelio Balbag, and Juan Conrado Respicio II; Mayors Eddie Guillen of Piddig, Joy Banagui Fernandez of Carasi, and Francis Espiritu Jr. of Dumalneg; lawyer Jose Cadiz Jr. of the Legislative Department of the Office of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; Mildred Dacuycuy of Refmad Farms; Leonardo Pascua of ILARRDEC; and this writer who represented the media – are the standard length of the posts and the non-use of motorcycle tires. Following the Thailand model, dragon fruit posts in Ilocos farms measure five feet as opposed to the more cost-effective four feet under VietGAP. Moreover, the non-use of tires not only lessens costs but also prevents the spread of dengue.

Vietnam’s Department of Intelligence Property has acknowledged the original name “BinhThuan Dragon Fruit” as an intellectual property. The brand name is also now a trademark registered with the United States Patent Office. Realizing the importance of proper branding in marketing, the Ilocos Norte delegation is bent on pushing for the registration of “Ilocos Norte Saniata Dragon Fruit” as a trade name.

The meeting with the Vietnam agriculture officials was the highlight of the Ilocos Norte delegation’s observation tour in South and Central Vietnam, July 13-16.

The group also visited Dan Ang and Hoi An cities located in Central Vietnam. Dan Ang is home to Vietnam’s premium golf course which is set in the rolling coastal sand dunes similar to that of Paoay, Ilocos Norte. Hoi An, an ancient town, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15^th to the 19^th century. It is one of Vietnam’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In Bin Thuan, the group toured the golden Mui Ne Sand Dunes, while in Saigon, the socialist state’s largest and most progressive city, they visited the War Memorial and commercial areas.

At a press briefing held July 19 at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol, the delegation shared their insights about the Vietnam trip and the new-found technologies and practices that could be applied here in the province.