Increasing the value of agricultural products from deep processing

(BP Portal) - Thai jackfruit can be considered an agricultural product with many advantages compared to other fruit trees. Nevertheless, farmers' spontaneous and unplanned production has continually led to a situation where supply exceeds demand, and products are harvested simultaneously but cannot be sold. Therefore, some establishments and cooperatives (cooperatives) have deeply processed Thai jackfruit products to avoid risks to farmers.

Thai jackfruit tree in Binh Phuoc

Along with durian, green-skinned pomelo and avocado, Thai jackfruit is popularly grown by Binh Phuoc farmers. Households have at less a dozen trees, many are a few hectares, and cooperatives grow a few dozen hectares. According to incomplete statistics, the province's total area of Thai jackfruit is about 700 hectares. China is the largest consumer market for this agricultural product, but it has many potential risks. The company will have to lower the price if the product is faulty or even retreat. Or when supply exceeds demand, farmers will be at a disadvantage. In addition, there are years when jackfruit comes to harvest, but there is no place to consume it, so farmers 

Noticeably, in recent years, the Chinese market has tightened the imports of unofficial quotas to official quotas with high requirements for quality, traceability and origin. According to contemporary records of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), China is developing the area of jackfruit to 180,000 hectares. For sustainable development, it is first necessary to change the business mindset of farmers themselves. Therefore, farmers must consciously choose a more sustainable and fundamental way of doing things instead of developing spontaneously and fragmentedly. To do so, farmers must connect and link processing and exporting enterprises to ensure output and product according to market signals.

Production direction in line with market signals

Hoa Phu Clean Agriculture Cooperative in Bu Nho Commune, Phu Rieng District, is growing 30 hectares of organically cultivated Thai jackfruit. To avoid risks, ensure a stable income for members and not rely too much on the market, in 2021, the cooperative has developed a project. Accordingly, the cooperative has invested in technology to make vacuum-dried jackfruit, consumed all products for people, and expanded the purchase of jackfruit from people in the vicinity area. Nguyen Tien Son's family in Tan Long village, Bu Nho commune, is a member of a cooperative that specializes in growing fruit trees, especially jackfruit. After the cooperative built the factory, he felt comfortable because the ripe jackfruit did not depend on the market price.

Vu Manh Tung, Director of the cooperative, said: The cooperative uses vacuum frying technology. This modern frying method helps retain the ingredients' natural flavour and colour and prolongs the product's shelf life. In addition, this technology has the advantage that the price is suitable for small and medium enterprises, the frying time is fast, and the capacity ranges from 10-100kg/batch.

The vacuum frying machine is optimally designed according to the production technology of the line of vegetables, tubers, fruits, and crispy dried fruits. Therefore, it is possible to produce many other products, such as dried bananas, dried sweet potatoes, dried lotus seeds, and dried lotus roots. However, the machine also has the disadvantage of using cooking oil for frying. Therefore, the cooperative has the orientation soon to switch to sublimation drying; this drying technology requires a significant value of investment capital. "The factory has only been in operation for more than one year; the market well receives the product. Many people eat and feel good about it, so they buy it as a gift. This is a good sign for us to be determined to expand production, aiming for export next year," said Mr Vu Manh Tung.

In Dak Lim village, Dak O commune, Bu Gia Map district, Co Hai clean pepper production facility also invested 370 million VND in buying heat drying technology to make dried jackfruit and dried fruit. On average, the establishment buys about 10 tons of fresh jackfruit each month from farmers in the commune. "In Dak O, farmers grow Thai jackfruit a lot, but traders only buy beautiful fruit, not small fruit, so it's a waste. That's why I thought it was necessary to open a small factory to dry jackfruit and fruit to sell farmers' agricultural products." said Vo Thi Hien, the facility's owner.

According to Hien, 1kg of dried jackfruit requires 12-15kg of fresh jackfruit. First, we must buy jackfruit to ripen, separate the segments, freeze and dry. Drying time is from 60-70 minutes per batch. On average, in one month, the facility can dry 1.5 tons of dried jackfruit and other vegetables, tubers and fruits to sell all markets from the South to the North of Vietnam. Particularly for dried Thai jackfruit, the price ranges from 220-250 thousand VND per kg, depending on the type.

The dried jackfruit of Ms Hien's establishment is very popular in the market because it is completely dried from Thai jackfruit, so it is delicious, naturally sweet and more fragrant than the Artocarpus heterophyllus. Eating dried jackfruit is crispy and spongy, not creating a feeling of boredom but helping people enjoy the natural flavour of jackfruit fully. Moreover, dried jackfruit is conveniently packaged and convenient to carry when travelling or as a gift. Co Hai's dried jackfruit product was granted a 3-star OCOP certificate in January 2021 and a certificate for typical rural industrial products at the provincial level in 2022. In 2023, Hien will make 4-star OCOP dried jackfruit products and double her production capacity.

Currently, on the market, the dried jackfruit processing technology is very diverse such as cold drying, hot drying, vacuum drying, etc. Depending on the economic potential of each business as well as the strength of available workers, it is necessary to invest in machinery suitably. The dried jackfruit technology both brings profits to companies and helps farmers consume agricultural products, forming a value chain from the farm to the dining table./.

Translator: Ms.Thao