Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development CARD Project Progress Report 050/04VIE Improvement of export and domestic markets for Vietnamese fruit through improved post-harvest and supply chain management MS3: SECOND SIX MONTHLY REPORT June 2006 1 Institute Information Project Name Improvement of export and domestic markets for Vietnamese fruit through improved post-harvest and supply chain management Vietnamese Institution Southern Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology (SIAEP) Vietnamese Project Team Leader Mr Nguyen Duy Duc, M Eng Australian Organisation Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI & F) Australian Personnel Mr Robert Nissen; Dr Peter Hofman Mr Brett Tucker; Mr Roland Holmes; Mss Marlo Rankin Date commenced June 2005 Completion date (original) May 2008 Completion date (revised) June 2008 Reporting period Progress Report 1st Year June 2006 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Mr Robert Nissen Name: Project Leader Position: Organisation Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI & F) Telephone: Fax: Email: +61 07 54449631 +61 07 54412235 bob.nissen@dpi.qld.gov.au In Australia: Administrative contact Michelle Robbins Senior Planning Officer (Emerging Technologies) Organisation Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI & F) Name: Position: Telephone: Fax: +61 07 3346 2711 +61 07 3346 2727 Email: michelle.robbins@dpi.qld.gov.au In Vietnam Name: Position: Mr Nguyen Duy Duc, Director SIAEP Telephone: Fax: +84 (8) 8481151 +84 (8) 8438842 Organisation Southern Sub-Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Post-Harvest Technology (SIAEP) Email: siaep@hcm.vnn.vn Project Abstract The fruit industry in Vietnam has a great potential and plays an important role in agricultural production In 2003, Vietnam exported US$43 million of high value fruit to high-income countries and imported US$14 million of fruit and vegetables Vietnam is experiencing difficulties in competing with other Asian nations in export markets and its own domestic market, especially with China and Thailand This suggests that Vietnam’s horticultural industries require substantial development to be globally competitive Vietnamese consumers are demanding safer and higher quality fruit This project has identified key pre-and post-harvest technology gaps that reduce product quality, safety and consistency Targeted training programs are focusing on the total supply chain and are providing benefits by helping to implement quality management systems and GAP systems at the village level providing greater employment for the farming community This project embraces the five CARD strategies for rural development; and in particular; strategies to increase production and competitiveness of agricultural systems; reduce poverty and vulnerability, and increase stakeholder participation whilst ensuring sustainability Executive Summary Baseline surveys were conducted for mango in Tien Gien and Khanh Hoa Provinces and for pomelo in the Vinh Long Province In total, over 120 farmers, 30 collectors and 20 wholesalers were interviewed by the Vietnamese collaborators to obtain vital information on how the mango and pomelo supply chians are operating Initial fact finding and surveys indicate that GAP, IPM and IDM issues are the largest issues affecting fruit quality in both mango and pomelo supply chains GAP manuals are being developed based on current, and newly developed Asian Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) principles Initial drafts of manuals have been completed for Mango Cultivation Handbook, Mango Pest Control Handbook, Mango Disease Handbook and Pomelo Cultivation, Pest and Disease Control Handbook, and further development of manuals is being undertaken Post-harvest handbook for mango is being developed in collaboration with SIAEP and SOFRI staff Workshops have been conducted using participatory action learning processes to enhance the knowledge of SIAEP and SOFRI staff Workshops were conducted on: • developing supply chain maps on product movement, information and monetary flows • understanding of how supply chains function • a strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats (SWOT) analysis • a supply chain process analysis, that identified problems and solutions for mango and pomelo supply chains • developing strategic and action plans for mango and pomelo supply chains Workshops were also held in villages with mango and pomelo growers and with collectors to discuss supply chain maps, the SWOT analyses and strategic plans This enabled adjustment to the plans developed at earlier workshops, and to obtain support and input from a wider cross section of farmer/growers Information from all of these sources was then used to develop the final industry mission statements, strategic and actions plans These plans were found to be in line with objectives of this CARD Project These objectives will be implemented during this project The ORID system was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops Fifty percent of the workshop participants understood workshop concepts very well, while the remaining 50 percent said they were satisfied with their understanding of workshop concepts Eighty three percent of the group indicated they would be confident in using these concepts with other supply chains and this training fulfilled their expectations Benefits to grower/farmers involvement in the workshops and training exercises has been shown through one group been stimulated into proactively addressing and developing new and harvesting, handling and packaging systems which improved their first grade pack out percentage by 10%, thus providing greater scio-economic benefits to the village and the wider community Introduction & Background Ford et al., (2003) analysed the competitiveness of fruit industries in Vietnam and identified poor unstable product quality, no quality standards poor post harvest technologies and pre-harvest practices, lack of group co-operative marketing structures and little information about supply chains, prices and customers needs This project addresses serious constraints through identifying key Vietnamese stakeholders from both government and industry sectors It engages them and empowers them by focusing on the total supply chain network, and identify where benefits are to be gained Stakeholder/beneficiary analysis conducted at project scoping and development stage showed that mango is an important fruit crop in the Mekong Delta (33 000 ha), and in the Khanh Hoa central coastal province (9 200 ha) Pomelo is also important in the Mekong Delta (9 000 ha) The objectives of the project are: • Improved pre-harvest technologies to produce high quality mango (integrated pest management, integrated crop management, fruit fly control, maturity indices, reduced pesticide residues, better environmental and human health etc) • Improved mango and pomelo post-harvest technologies (eg cool chain management, packaging, post-harvest dipping, ethylene ripening, waxing, washing and wetting agents, quality assurance) • Improved quality standards and quality assurance programs for mango and pomelo The approach and methodologies developed for these crops through this project will be applied to other fruits and vegetables • Mapping of current supply chains to domestic and selected export markets, with particular emphasis on determining consumer preferences and needs, and reporting results back to farmers • Provide a better understanding and possible improvements of the supply chain by Vietnamese fruit industries for mango and pomelo This project will fill capacity gaps and reduce major weaknesses in pre-and postharvest technologies affecting product quality consistency and supply chain management and planning Highly specialised targeted training programs appropriate for institutions and industry stakeholders will be provided At the local village and district level, cluster development of farmer/grower groups should ensure better on-farm prices, through increased power to these farmers/growers benefiting all members of the supply chain farmers, intermediaries to retailers rather than the present powers brokers in the chain Farm incomes will therefore increase and result in better standard of living for rural and women In addition, if quality management systems are implemented at the village and district level, through more appropriate fruit quality standards, packaging and grading systems implemented The benefits may be increase returns resulting in greater employment at the local village level The flow on affects of this will benefit the poor in the rural areas, and specifically help provide more jobs for rural women Progress to Date Implementation Highlights Baseline Surveys Supply chain baseline surveys were conducted by SIEAP and SOFRI staff for mango in Tien Gien and Khanh Hoa Provinces and for pomelo in the Vinh Long Province Mango and pomelo production for the relevant regions revealed: • Mango o South East Vietnam:- 18 685ha producing 70 622 tonnes annually o Mekong Delta:- 22 001ha producing 193 383 tonnes annually o Khanh Hoa Province:- 800ha producing 18 800 tonnes annually • Pomelo o South East Vietnam:- 422ha producing 12 932 tonnes annually o Mekong Delta:- 298ha producing 108 916 tonnes annually About 20% of Vietnam’s population live in the Mekong Delta Region with 85% living in rural areas About 80% of rural farms range in size from 0.5 to 2ha The lower poverty line defined by Vietnamese General Statistics Office (GSO) is; expenditure per capita required for securing a minimum nutritional requirement (2100 calories per day) Therefore, the poverty rate below the lower limit calculated by the (GSO) in 2003 showed that the total poverty percentage for each Vietnamese region where this project is operating is: • Mekong Delta 23.7% • South Central Cost 25.9% These percentages are lower than Vietnam’s average poverty rate of 28.85 percent The only other region to record a poverty rate below this is the Red River Delta region (22.4%) The rural poverty rates have the similar trends and are: • Mekong Delta 26.56% • South Central Cost 31.27% In total, over 120 farmers, 30 collectors and 20 wholesalers were interviewed by the Vietnamese collaborators to obtain vital information on how the supply chains for mango and pomelo are functioning in Vietnam Surveys will be conducted at the end of the project for further comparisons Survey data was presented at the first workshop during the second project trip in April-May 2006 Information obtained was then used in subsequent workshops to develop models of the supply chains for mango pomelo operating in Vietnam and to develop the strategic plans for mango and pomelo Brief Summary of Mango Baseline Survey Information • Total Mango area and production for the South East is 18 685 producing 70 622 tonnes/year, Mekong Delta Region 22 001ha producing 193 383 tonnes/year and Khanh Hoa Province 800ha, producing 18 800 tonnes/year • Vietnamese consumers regard the “Cat Hoa Loc” as the number one variety in Vietnam • In the Mekong Delta, about 72% of mango fruit are transported from farm to collector by boat, but in Khanh Hoa Province 100% are via some form of road transport Farmers, collectors and wholesaler believe that only 1-2% of fruit is damaged during transport in 30 to 50 kg bamboo baskets or crates • In the Mekong Delta a small percentage of mango is graded at the farm level but most fruit are graded and sorted at the collector and then again at the wholesaler level in the supply chain In contrast, for Khanh Hoa Province, about 54% of farmers grade their fruit • In the Mekong Delta there are three basic grades, Class 1:- 420-500g, Class 2:300-420g and Class 3:- 6 fruit /kg Fruit grading is carried out by eye Improvement and standardisation of quality standards as well as adoption by all participants in the supply chain is need • Most fruit are sold hard green, ripe fruit are not wanted • Collectors/farmers prefer to sell mixed grades even though the farm gate price will be low This is done to allow collectors/farmers to sell Class fruit which they could not normally sell On the other hand many wholesalers find it extremely difficult to sell Class fruit This adds significant costs to all aspects of the supply chain and affects farmers/grower returns • • • • • Selling price for fruit:- Majority of farmers obtain the price of fruit locally This is achieved by asking as many collectors, farmers and wholesalers as possible at the district level for their price paid or received for fruit sold Price is usually set and established with farmers on day of sale or the day before and based on the market supply on any given day Majority of farmers not know the price of mango at the HCMC wholesale market Wholesalers reported that most fruit will keep for days with out the use of special storage facilities Presently there are no storage facilities located the HCMC wholesale markets for wholesalers to use) At the wholesaler point in the supply chain, once the fruit is mature, for each day that it is not sold, traders will reduce the price by 500-10 000 vnd/kg Brief Summary of Critical Pomelo Baseline Survey Information • In the Mekong Delta, the Vin Long Province is considered as the leading growing region in Vietnam for Pomelo • Total area and production in the Southeast is 422ha, producing 12 932 tonnes/year and for the Mekong Delta Region 298ha producing 108 916 tonnes/year • The pomelo variety “Man Roi” is considered the number one variety in Vietnam • There are as many as to grades/standards of fruit depending upon market and time of season Each class grade standard changes, based on early season production, mid-season and late-season production For example, local market there are classes/grade standards, Hoang Gia Company uses classes or grade standards and the wholesale market in HCMC classes or grade standards • In the Mekong Delta, about 62% pomelo fruit are transported from farm to collector by boat, and 66% transported by road to HCMC and the remainder by boat in 80 to 85kg bamboo baskets • Of the total production from Vin Long Province it is estimated 5% to 6% is for local consumption In 2004, Metro Cash and Carry marketed 145 tonnes of pomelo fruit Also in 2004, 50 tonnes of pomelo was exported to Germany In 2005, a 100 tonnes was exported to Germany and Russia and the price was US FOB HCMC $590USD/tonne (about 200VND/kg) The CARD Project team are currently completing analysis of the baseline survey data Following data analysis reports will be prepared and PowerPoint presentations will be made to Vietnamese Collaborators (SIAEP & SOFRI) and to the mango and pomelo farmers, collectors, transporters, traders and wholesalers GAP Manual Development Initial drafts of manuals have been completed These are Mango Cultivation Handbook, Mango Pest Control Handbook, Mango Disease Control Handbook and the Pomelo Cultivation Pest and Disease Control Handbook Further development will be undertaken on these manuals Post-harvest handbook for mango is being developed in collaboration with SIAEP and SOFRI staff These manuals are based on current, newly developed Asian Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) principles and will include farmer achievable improvements These technical manuals are being designed to be easily broken down into extension officer’s guides and farmer/grower flip book or pocket field guides for IPM, IDM and problem solving for the growing mango and pomelo Manual development and format will have the capacity to be regularly updated and maintained This will provide a system as farmer/grower GAP practices and knowledge improves, they can move up to the next GAP level or step up to the next knowledge level Initial fact finding and surveys indicate that GAP, IPM and IDM issues are the most important factors affecting fruit quality in both mango and pomelo supply chains It is essential that these elements be corrected first before any substantial change can be achieved though the supply chain Participants downstream along the supply chain cannot enhance fruit quality only maintain it with good practices and the saying “garbage in garbage out’ is typical of any supply chain with poor quality fruit entering the chain Integrated pest management (IPM) and biological control methods have been well established in many developed countries However, increased consumer demand for 'clean and green' products, greater understanding of occupational health and safety on farms, and ecological and environmental issues and higher chemical costs have all combined to highlight the need for greater IPM and IDM type practices Vietnamese growers must develop practical IPM and IDM systems to suit their own industry situations and implement them to be international and domestically competitive as well as scio-economically and environmentally sustainable Mango and Pomelo Industry Development Three Australian team members travelled to Vietnam in April-May 2006 to conduct capacity building exercises and run a series of workshops These workshops used participatory action learning processes and capacity building for SIAEP and SOFRI staff to develop: • supply chain maps • conduct a strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats (SWOT) analyse • carry out a supply chain process analysis • develop strategic plans for mango and pomelo supply chains for participating CARD project members CARD Project members participating in these workshops were SIAEP and SOFRI staff, farmers, collectors, traders, wholesalers and marketers etc., (see Appendix B) All were involved in a participatory action learning process to develop the supply chain maps, carry out SOWT analyses, develop strategic plans and participate in the supply chain process analyse See Appendix A for supply chain maps and SWOT analyse Workshops were also held in villages with mango and pomelo growers (see Appendix B) and with collectors to discuss supply chain maps, the SWOT analyse and strategic plans developed at previous workshops and to adjust and obtain input from a wider cross section of farmer/growers This consultative and participatory action learning approach is designed to empower the rural poor in the decision making processes Based on the agreed vision, goals and future direction for both the mango and pomelo CARD project participants developed action plans based on the strategic plans These action plans for both the mango and pomelo supply chains aligned with this CARD Project objectives Therefore, the action plans developed indicate the project activities for the next years Also outlined, are the reports and manuals to be produce These action plans, reports and manuals were discussed at the final workshop during the Australian team visit in April-May 2006 (see Appendix C) Strategic Planning for Mango and Pomelo Industries Industry Mission Statements Mango Maintain stable incomes (prices) and consistent access to good markets by improving pre-and post-harvest practices, QA standards, and obtain a balance between supply chain partners, and investment in infrastructure so that consistent quality and quantity is supplied to our customers Pomelo Develop production/post-harvest and marketing practices that will provide the right quality and quantity of fruit to our markets (export, domestic and processing), consistently and for the long-term Mango Strategic Plan (Summary) Skills & Infrastructure Technology Improve Need handling production process equipment (e.g follow GAP) (coldroom, (5i,5v) packhouse and transportation) Priority (1i,1v) Ensure true Improve packing variety & improve and storing variety procedures (3i,1v) (2i,0v) Need technical support to improve storing, packing Information Other Need market information for export and domestic markets (4i, 3v) Priority Need to know standards required by customers (3i,2v) 10 Government needs to set standards for maximum residue levels (0i,0v) 11 Government to help with planning and development for specialised fruit growing area (2i,3v) Priority 12 Need to improve the linkages between Need info services like internet 10 and packaging material (2i,3v) Combined as Priority (3i, 1v) farmers – traders – customers Scientists and government also need to be involved (4 links) (4i,4v) Priority Post-harvest handling, chemicals and storage (1i,1v) Mango Improvements under key headings with votes (i- Industry Personnel, v- Vietnamese Research Institution Personnel): All criteria are detailed in Appendix A with votes for each criteria Top Priority for Strategic Plan:- Listing in Order of Importance for Mango Industry Improve production process (e.g follow GAP) Need to improve the linkages between farmers – traders – customers Scientists and government also need to be involved Need market information for export and domestic markets Improve packing and storing procedures/Need technical support to improve storing, packing and packaging material Government to help with planning and development for specialised fruit growing area Pomelo Strategic Plan (Summary) Domestic Markets No WHAT WHY (Problems) SOLUTIONS/IMPROVEMENTS GROWERS Lack of information & technology on seeds, farming techniques, etc Lack of capital Abuse of pesticides/chemic als No one to contact, little information transferred Supporting techniques from seedling – farming-harvesting (Guidance for GAP) (5i,6v+2i,2v) +point Priority Difficult policy of loan Supporting capital/investment in infrastructure (6i, 0v + point 13) Priority Lack of knowledge Advice/counsel on standards/specifications of products (0i, 6v) Priority No guidance/ instruction received from technicians Training on IPM (2i, 2v) combined with TRADERS 11 12 Poor quality products Collecting from small-scale farmers 13 Weakly competitive capability to other traders & companies Lack of information Export Markets No WHAT (Problems) TRADERS 23 Poorly post-harvest handling Intensively farming & programming production area – monoculture (1i, 4v) Priority Investment of infrastructure/facilities/human resourses (3i, 0v) WHY SOLUTIONS/IMPROVEMENTS Lack of modern technology Improving applicability of farming techniques and technologies of harvesting, packing and transporting (0i, 4v) Priority Pomelo key areas with votes (i- Industry Personnel, v- Vietnamese Research Institution Personnel): All criteria are detailed in Appendix A with votes for each criterion Top Priority for Strategic Plan:- Listing in Order of Importance for Pomelo Industry Supporting techniques from seedling –farming-harvesting (Guidance for GAP) Advice/counsel on standards/specifications of products Intensively farming & programming production area Training on IPM Improving applicability of farming techniques and technologies of harvesting, packing and transporting Workshop evaluations The ORID system was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops ORID stands for Objective, Reflective, Interpretive, and Decisional Both Vietnamese industry and institute staff were surveyed at the end of our workshop and a summary presented below The workbooks and materials supplied to participants and translation of these workshops into Vietnamese showed that 55% found them very useful, while the remaining 45% found them highly useful Fifty percent understood workshop concepts very well, while the remaining 50% said satisfactory Eighty three percent of the group indicated they would be confident in using these concepts with other supply chains and this training fulfilled their expectations while 100% indicated they would like further training This will be carried out as this CARD Project enters its and years Smallholder Benefits Each of the CARD project groups and have show greater initiative by looking for new approaches to solving problems A good example, is a group of mango grower/farmers have been stimulated into proactively addressing and developing new and improved harvesting, handling and packaging systems which resulted in improved 12 net returns last year This provided greater socio-economic benefits to the village and wider community This cooperative has increased Class fruit sales by 10% New methods for picking and handling of fruit after harvesting, packaging of fruit in fibreboard cartons have been developed and are carried out at the cooperative level Fruit are marketed under this groups own cooperative trademark This has highlighted the benefits of have both public and private sector involvement in such projects and how ordinary farmer’s can become leaders of change and build capacity at the local level Farmer/grower and collaborators input into strategic planning and the development of GAP pre- and post-harvest manuals is essential if adoption and implementation is to be achieved This is presently being undertaken and will continue as this CARD Project progresses into years and The real benefit is still to come – they are involved in identifying the problems and the solutions they will get the training and input they need, based on their guidance and advice, we will be working on their farms to demonstrate improved practices, we will help tem develop high value supply chain and produce fruit to supply these chains That is summarised in the potential benefits documented in the action plan Capacity Building Mr Nissen, Dr Hofman and Ms Rankin undertook a training visit during April-May 2006 for 14 days to conduct workshops Ms Rankin then remained for a further weeks to assist the Vietnamese collaborating institutes conduct further training of CARD project supply chain participants During this visit by the Australian team, a trip was also undertaken from 10:00pm till 3:00am to the HCMC Wholesalers Markets to observe fruit quality, trader operations wholesale market operation and to discuss issues with wholesale market staff Further visits to Ho Loc Cooperative and Pomleo Growers and collectors were also undertaken Workshop was carried out to train SIAEP and SOFRI staff and to discuss processes to be used in further workshops on strategic plan development, supply chain mapping, supply chain process analyse, workshop evaluation methods and project action plan development Support and input from SIAEP and SOFRI staff on the processes to be used to train Vietnamese supply chain CARD Project participants is essential Their input was vital and helped provide such highly successful training workshops Trainer’s workbook and workshop manuals were provided to each participant Workshop was for the CARD project supply chain participants (grower/farmers, cooperatives, collectors, traders, wholesalers and marketers, etc) Each workshop participant was trained using participatory action learning methods This workshop enhanced their knowledge of: • how supply chains function and develop maps of product movement, information flows, monetary flows • an audit of strengths, weakness, opportunity and threats (SWOT analyses) on the supply chains 13 • develop strategic plans for mango and pomelo supply chains and this CARD project Workshop 3, and were carried out at the village grower/farmer collector level Each participant was trained using participatory action learning methods SIAEP and SOFRI staff were trained in supply chain process analyse and conducted these process analysis at each workshop undertaken with these groups These workshops provide additional training in the processes used during Workshop and subsequent field days They were to: • confirm the accuracy of information obtained during Workshop • obtain additional information about commercial practices, quality loss etc • confirm whether the proposed strategic plan is accurate and appropriate Workshop was to: • develop and discuss how to implement the relevant sections of the action plan developed from the strategic plan • plan the activities for the next 12 months of the project in view of the requirements of the action plan • discuss the required reports for the next 12 months (See Appendix C) Publicity The project has received publicity through reporters Ph an Hoang and Le Hai from Vin Long Television who were and present at the growers farmers workshop at My Hoa village, Binh Minh District, Vinh Long Province If possible, Vietnamese collaborators will be asked to obtain a copy of the transcripts and hold on file for future reference The CARD Project was highlighted In the Queensland Department Industries SE Snapshot, International Scene Section, Issue 1, April 2006, The article focused on how the Vietnamese mango and pomelo growers are building their market supply chain skills How the project also aims to improve agricultural economic opportunities for subsistence farmers in rural communities in southern and central Vietnam and through upskilling the Vietnamese industry to achieve sustainable change at the local level Benefits and development opportunities also exist for Queensland horticultural companies to form long-term partnerships with Vietnamese communities Project Management Close linkages with the joint RMIT and DPIF project staff working on Quality Assurance Systems for ASEAN Fruit and Vegetables (QASAFV) have been made The QASAFV project is one of 10 projects initiated under the ASEAN Australian Development Cooperation Program (AADCP) Exchange of information has occurred on a regular basis The information exchanged covered areas such as: • product quality concepts • development of ASEAN GAP standards 14 • supply chain development and evaluation processes There has been no change to the project team during this reporting period Report on Cross-Cutting Issues Environment Many environmental issues were identified during consultation with grower/farmers during the participatory action learning workshops Conducting the supply chain process analysis during these workshops issues raised were: • contamination of irrigation water (salt and grey water) • disposal of grey water and by product contamination of waterways • agricultural spray application methodology and practices • type and amount of fertiliser, their application methods to reduce environmental contamination • mixed farming methodology and cultural practices (mixed plant and animal farming practices) Poor agricultural practices can create serious problems in the Mekong Delta and contamination of land and waterways through: • soil management and disturbance (particularly acid sulphate soils (ASS)) • incorrect water management and irrigation systems • incorrect and constant use of agricultural chemicals (insecticides, growth regulators etc.) • incorrect use of fertilisers (both organic and inorganic) This may lead to: • increase salinity • decrease in productivity of crops and local aquaculture • spread of contaminates, poisoning and increase of infectious diseases with in the local community • damage to the local ecology • and loss of employment through reduced productivity Soil Management The soils of the Mekong Delta (area of 1.6 million ha) exhibit problems associated with young soils Close to 30 per cent of the Mekong Delta are of alluvial soil types, located between the Hau Giang and Tien Giang A further 40 per cent of the Mekong Delta is affected by acid sulphate soils (ASS) Disturbance of ASS through land clearance, drainage, tillage and mounding can cause acid runoffs into the aquatic and marine environment, either killing fish or increasing the incidence of disease in the marine population Saline soils also present further constraints to agricultural development and are located primarily in the coastal zone Development of new, and re-establishment of existing orchards, will require soil to be either moved or disturbed, and a management plan will be needed to eliminate the runoff of acid or nutrients trapped in the soil into the environment These aspects should be covered as part of GAP, as their affects on the environment could be substantial Many farmer/growers realise the affects of their 15 present day agricultural practices and the need for change but need help One comment from the pomelo group was “more applied training exercises to implement GAP principles on farm at the local level” None of the principles on soil management have been covered in their training to date Irrigation and Water Management Practices Water has several roles to play in agricultural cropping systems It is part of plant structure as well as providing the transport system for nutrients and plant products (natural plant regulators) throughout the plant Irrigation scheduling (when and how much water to apply) is critical and coupled with water scheduling and soil water monitoring provides and efficient and effective use of water Plants require water at critical times and these are:• flowering and fruit set • fruit development • and vegetative growth phases Therefore, monitoring of soil water is essential to eliminate excessive plant stress at these critical times Excessive moisture stress (drought) or over-watering can affect cropping capacity and product quality as well as nutrient and pesticide runoff into the environment Good farm and orchard design is essential to ensure any runoff is trapped on farm This is an essential element of GAP This element is often overlooked or neglected due to the cost of re-establishing an orchard or loss of viable producing area to ensure the environment is protected There are no incentives or subsidies and farmers/growers are forced to provide these costs out their own pocket, reducing their viability even though there are wider social, ecological and environmental benefits, such as reduced incidences of contractible diseases, cleaner environment (fewer pollutants) and a healthier life for the community from such practices Agricultural Chemical Usage Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Department (MARD) Plant Protection unit have documented that farmers and other pesticide users usually ignore the risks, safety instructions and essential protective measures in using chemicals Records showed that 11% of all poisonings in the country are due to pesticides: approximately 840 poisonings in 53 cities and provinces in 1999 in Vietnam Surveys conducted by the Plant Protection Department have shown that 80% of farmers in the South of Vietnam consider pesticide application the essential component of the production system compared with other control practices On farm chemical management involves many aspects: • types of chemical (formulations) • mode of action (contact or systemic) • their availability • purchasing (amounts and cost) • on farm storage • application methods • rates of application and calculating of rates • disposal • safe handling and application practices 16 • • withholding periods for marketing purposes market access issues etc Incorrect use of pesticides in the tropics can also lead to aggravated problems in pest control due to the year round growing season and their constant ability to develop resistant strains faster then their counterparts in the subtropical and temperate zones Whilst many farmer/growers have received IPM training their application and adoption on farm has been lacking due to compounding factors that occur at the farm level Even though these environmental issues are not strictly part of this CARD project we are providing some training on orchard design, water and soil conservation methods Far greater emphasis will be placed on delivering IPM and IDM methods This will be in consultation with our Vietnamese partners This project aims to deliver for mango and pomelo an assurance system that will deliver a safe clean product that meets Asian GAP standards Gender and Social Issues The project is aware of the need to incorporate, encourage and support the role of women as project and supply chain participants in the design and implementation of the project At the farmer level, there have been difficulties in past projects to encourage women to join as members of cooperatives with very few represented both as general members and even less at a management level This is an ongoing challenge facing cooperative development as in general, the patriarch of the households will join as members of the cooperative and the female member of the household will only attend meetings if her male partner is unable However, it has been recognised that women play a variety of roles at all levels of both mango and pomelo supply chains and strategies are being trialled to seek out and encourage the involvement of women in the project Past experience has shown that at a farmer level, women are most likely to provide input and participate in training when it is of a more informal nature and not overly time consuming Small group meetings held in members’ homes (outside of common meal times) where female family members have been encouraged to participate have proven to be a successful technique in drawing out opinions and gaining valuable insight into the role they play as multi-task managers both in the home and as part of the agricultural production activities Book keeping is often a role taken on by women at a farm level and many have a good understanding of fluctuating input prices, market prices and impact on overall farm profitability This information is particularly valuable when attempting to analyse existing supply chains in terms of resource flows Women are often heavily involved in the post-harvest marketing and sale of the fruit also They often represent the majority of collectors, wholesalers, traders and retailers in both local and HCMC markets, so further upstream training should be designed to address these roles and encourage their participation In the recent project visit, one particular female collector who runs a large business collecting, grading and 17 transporting fruit from southern Vietnam to central and northern markets was visited in An Huu market and participation in the project requested Valuable market information and insights were gained through this visit and will be incorporated into the analysis of existing supply chains with future collaboration encouraged The Vietnamese project team is also well represented with women making up the majority of team members from SOFRI (3 of 4) and female members from SIAEP also playing key roles in project implementation The SOFRI team is lead by experienced scientist and extensionist Dr Hong who is committed to the professional development of female staff A number of young female scientists from both institutes have been encouraged to take on key responsibilities as part of the project They have also been encouraged to identify, learn from and support the participation of women at all levels of the supply chains They have shown the capacity to understand complex supply chain concepts and the sensitivity to recognise that building successful supply chains requires in-depth understanding and mediation of complex power relationships Periodic review of project training programs, activities and their applicability to women will be discussed with these key project personnel, with review and adjustment to methodologies made throughout the duration of the project Although the Australian project team has only one female member, her experience in working with both farming communities and research institutes in Vietnam makes her contribution to understanding and devising strategies to address gender issues associated with project implementation particularly valuable An in-depth understanding of cultural norms and ability to work within these to encourage participation of women in a non-threatening manner is considered critical to realistic project outcomes that will be of benefit to women Implementation & Sustainability Issues Issues and Constraints At the Grower/Farmer level: Standardised harvesting practices will be difficult to implement for both mango and pomelo When prices are high, grower/farmers will harvest immature fruit to take advantage of high prices (market supply and demand curves:- high demand = increased prices plus low supply = small quantity available) Convincing grower/farmers to stick to standards when market prices are high and to establish a name or their trademark or brand will be extremely difficult Fruit grade standards for mango will be difficult to implement, particularly when current practices by grower/farmers who selling mixed fruit classes (Class to Class 3) in the same baskets They see quantity as the primary indicator of money returns to farming as opposed to fruit quality being the primary indicator of increased farm returns Many grower/farmers have received IPM training but found it extremely difficult to implement and many revert back to previous practices Training is often carried out in other regions and no demonstrations are carried out on farms in their locality 18 Calender spray regimes are used to control pests and diseases and these not suite local environmental conditions being experienced when sprays have to be applied All grower/farmers have experienced severe difficulties in implementing GAP Significant problems raised were during workshop and discussions centred on issues such as: • pollution of irrigation water • intercropping (citrus and cash crops under trees) • animals (chickens) running loose in the orchards • difficulties in applying sprays • fruit bats are a causing significant problems • fruit fly is also a problem • bacterial spot is increasing in severity and affecting more orchards each year All growers have found that they have limited resources (capital/money) to implement GAP and access to capital via low interest rate loans to implement GAP principles are non existent This makes undertaking GAP practices extremely difficult for grower/farmers Low returns on crops grown, and no available capital, means that improvement will only occur at an extremely slow rate Many grower/farmers will remove crops that are unprofitable or difficult to manage and grow Expectation by grower/farmers is that handouts from the project will occur, but this is not the case This project is designed to build their confidence by improving their ability through capacity building exercises to solve problems and implement solutions that will provide increased returns At the collector, trader and wholesaler level: Standardised and fruit grade standards will be difficult to maintain due to grading being carried out by eye Options Development of grade standards for both pomelo and mango will be undertaken via consultation with grower/farmers, collectors, traders, wholesalers Wall charts and grade standards are presently being developed and will continue to be reviewed and developed by this CARD Project team Increased returns may not come immediately as these new supply chains fight for existence with older more established chains Once chains establish a presence, and consumers experience superior quality product from these chains, benefits will come (demonstrated by the Hoa Loc Mango Cooperative which increase grade one fruit by 10%) In the future, if Vietnam joins the World Trade Organisation (WTO), benefits may be in the form of not losing market share to competing fruit from other countries such as Thailand, China and Taiwan etc Emu Exports Vietnam are constructing a packing facility and training centre This will be operational by March next year in the Cam Ranh District, Khanh Hoa Province This facility will be have a cool and ripening rooms, line grader, packaging equipment etc Fibreboard boxes will be used to package mango fruit for export The CARD project will take supply chain participants to visit these facilities and provide training 19 on how Emu Exports Vietnam is implementing and maintain GAP principles (pre-and post- harvest), grade standards and their supply chain to markets During this CARD Project training in IPM and IDM will be provided at the local level • how to conduct and carry out monitoring for pest and disease • identification of type crop damage • identification of pest and disease causing crop damage • when and how to spray • on farm chemical management (as indicated above in Report on Cross Cutting Issues, Environment Agricultural Chemical Usage) • and implementation of GAP principles Sustainability This project is addressing sustainability issues through • participatory action learning process involving CARD project supply chain participants (grower/farmers, collectors, traders, wholesalers, exporters) section of champions or industry leaders • train the trainer workshops of SIAEP and SOFRI project staff who will have capability to expand methodologies and process used in this project to other industries • workshops that provide information on GAP, IPM and IDM principles and inking these to other CARD Project (Dragon Fruit) and AADCP project • providing background information on the benefits of health and safety, environmental and social impacts of implementing GAP, IPM and IDM methods in new pre- and post–harvest practices • establishing supply chain maps for product, communication and monetary flows, infrastructure and skills audits • undertaking process analysis to determine problems and obtain input from participants on solution to problems encountered in the supply chains • undertaking baseline surveys on quality and survey to assess improvements being implemented If sustainability problems arise they are being addressed by the project through participatory action learning process and this project is making good progress in addressing issues above One issue of concern and highlighted by many growers and involves financial assistance The project team members believe that some of these issues can be addressed through development of grower financial training project and government assistance through special schemes set up to assist farmers implement GAP principles Next Critical Steps These have been grouped under the following categories based on strategic plan priorities and are as follows: 20 • • • • • • • Develop and implement GAP, focussing initially on pest and disease management (IPM) Improving applicability of farming techniques and technologies of harvesting, packing and tansporting Reducing post-harvest losses by establishing a demonstration of production, sorting, packing and transport systems to provide the quality required by selected better retail outlets Improve linkages between growers, traders, customers, scientists and government also need to be involved Develop high value supply chain Improve practices to provide high quality fruit Re cycle orchards as a long term plan to provide high quality fruit For a complete breakdown of the CARD project critical steps see the Mango and Pomelo Action Plans outlined in Appendix C Conclusion This project is still receiving support and a high level of commitment from all the project participants (grower/farmers, collectors, traders, wholesalers, exporters, Vietnamese Institutes (SIAEP and SOFRI) and Australian staff involved Information gathering and surveys methodologies undertaken have proven to be highly successfully in obtaining an understanding of the Vietnamese mango and pomelo supply chains and have identifying problems areas and possible solutions Significant progress has been made on documenting the supply chain for mango and pomelo and excellent progress in developing the strategic and action plans for mango and pomelo SIAEP and SOFRI have committed and provided staff for implementation of the mango and pomelo action plans and strategic plans that will ensure the objectives of the CARD project are met 21 ... Institute Information Project Name Improvement of export and domestic markets for Vietnamese fruit through improved post-harvest and supply chain management Vietnamese Institution Southern Sub-Institute... Class 1 :- 42 0-5 00g, Class 2:30 0-4 20g and Class 3 :- 6 fruit /kg Fruit grading... understanding and possible improvements of the supply chain by Vietnamese fruit industries for mango and pomelo This project will fill capacity gaps and reduce major weaknesses in pre -and postharvest