Introduction to the project 3
Over the last couple of decades, agriculture in Viet Nam has significantly evolved from low productivity, small scale towards a robust growth in production. This shift is due to the recognition that new technologies and practices are key elements in the process of innovation to promote agricultural development. This transformation, on the one hand, may benefit economic growth as agriculture is the largest employer across economic sectors in Vietnam. On the other hand, the large proportion of agriculture expansion particularly in fruit production has heavily depended on the use of fertilizers and other agro-chemicals for farmer profitability which, in turn, causes serious problems on soil environment and numerous health issues on humans. The consequences of over-intensive input are now adversely impacting both productivity and the position of Vietnam’s agricultural products in both domestic and international markets. The effective competence of the produce in the markets largely depends on the ability of farmers to deliver their produce with reliability, and with assurances relating to quality, safety, and sustainability.
From the perspective of agricultural research, the innovation in agriculture has shaped and sped up the research activities which have more linkages with specific variables in terms of location and situation. Quy Nhon University, a key university in the regions of Coastal Central and Central Highlands of Vietnam, has recognized and prioritized the needs of solving problems in agricultural production through investigating sustainable livelihoods of the regions and by enhancing the opportunities to improve its capacity. The project 3 titled “Improving the safety and quality of avocado and durian by management of pre-harvest factors” in the 10-year IUC program funded by VLIR-UOS is designed to improve stakeholder’s knowledge on sustainable fruit production through integrating environment-friendly agricultural practices to improve soil health, tree performance, and fruit quality. The project also foresees stronger relationships among higher educational institutes, agricultural research organizations and other stakeholders in agriculture production.
The objectives of this project in the first five years are (i) to develop the sustainability of the regional fruit (avocado or durian) production through the effective management of pre-harvest factors so that local farmers will be able improve safety and quality of the fruit; (ii) to strengthen research and education capacities of the QNU’s Department of Applied Biology and Agriculture. For the long-term objectives, the project is expected to increase the economic values of avocado and durian by creating high-quality products. Local farmers at different targeted research locations at four provinces (Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Khanh Hoa) are the end-users of this project. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARDs) and Farmer Unions are our key stakeholders to assure the successful uptake of the project results.
