New pepper varieties for Vietnamese production
Because of this the Fruit Republic, a Rijk Zwaan distributor, has teamed up with vegetable processing company, Bac Lieu, in the Mekong Delta.
Bac Lieu process block peppers into rings and cubes, freezes them and exports them to Japan.
"Product sales are going well," says Vice General Director, Nguyen Thanh Phuong. "However, maintaining a constant level of quality is an ongoing challenge. Needless to say we are doing everything we can to keep quality high. The product goes through an extensive washing process after harvest and we work according to HACCP standards. Having said that, it all depends on the quality of the initial product and, in a fragmented market like ours, this is a significant challenge."
In order to ensure Bac Lieu receives good quality peppers, the Fruit Republic provides its growers with advice and aims to sell them the best quality seeds.
"The market has been flooded with new varieties over the past few years, which has led to poor uniformity and numerous quality issues," says Phuong. "This is why we so pleased Pasarella RZ and Ilanga RZ. These varieties not only have improved flavour, but also better colour and thicker flesh - more suitable fro freezing. Our customers are very pleased."
In response to this positive experience Bac Lieu is seeking to enlist more growers. Here the Fruit Republic also has a role to play - they have introduced the company to new growers who can grow peppers precisely to Bac Lieu's standards.
One such grower is Nguyen van Lieu from Lam Dong province. He said, "In addition to the colour and shelf life, Pasarella and Ilanga are also resistant to PVY and TSWY viruses, which pose serious threats in this area. As a result they give a much higher yield.
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