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Author: Ngô Khoa

Grow more with less water and nutrients in Vietnam

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The project consortium partners Ridder, Royal Brinkman, HollandDoor and Fresh Studio are pleased to announce that our project application under the Partners for Water program has been approved. Under the project name: “Improving water availability and safety through optimized irrigation and fertilizer application by hydroponic growers in Vietnam” the project consortium will establish 2 pilot locations to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of re-using drain water to local horticulture farmers in Lam Dong province, which is the horticultural production center of Vietnam.

Before the application of this pilot project a thorough feasibility study was undertaken by the consortium, providing sufficient understanding and proof for which crops, and under which circumstances an investment in re-using drain water has the fastest return on investment.

In Vietnam a modern greenhouse sector is fast developing, especially in the highlands of Lam Dong Province, which is since decades the main production region of fresh vegetables and flowers for the densely populated urban Mekong, including Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). To prevent soilborne diseases and to increase productivity, greenhouse production in Lam Dong is shifting fast towards hydroponic greenhouse cultivation (out of soil, on a substrate) in which irrigation is combined with fertilizer application (fertigation). In terms of water efficiency hydroponic cultivation is much more efficient, however irrigation requirements are still significant. This project is unique as it unlocks abilities in both the fields of water safety and water security:

  • Water security: increasing water use efficiency to produce horticultural produce and thereby decreasing the water footprint of vegetables and flowers produced by saving 10 – 35% of irrigation water.
  • Water safety: greatly reducing the contamination of the environment (eutrophication) by avoiding leaching of nutrient rich drain water into the environment.
Modern sweet pepper and tomato production on substrate in Vietnam, without re using drain water.

The rapid expansion of intensive horticulture production combined with irrigation practices and management which are not optimized, is putting pressure on the availability of sufficient irrigation water. The limits of available irrigation water resources are already reached. With increasing demand for fresh vegetables, this creates a risk for food security in some periods of the year. Using irrigation water more efficient and increasing the water use efficiency will enable the horticulture sector in Vietnam to grow in a sustainable manner, while ensuring food security and water availability in the future.

Picture of the greenhouse production area surrounding Da Lat city in Lam Dong province.

The re-use of drain water is not yet applied in Vietnam by local growers, while this is common practice in the Netherlands within the horticulture sector. Adapting the technologies applied in the Netherlands to be technically and economically feasible in Vietnam to re-use drain water makes this project unique and innovative. Especially the Ridder VitaLite system, which has not yet been applied by local vegetable growers in Vietnam. It may seem simple to copy the Dutch system and put it in place in Vietnam, but it is certainly not as simple as that. The systems to re-use drain water have been developed and have evolved over 40 years. Access to knowledge and companies providing services related the re-using of drain water are readily available in the Netherlands. This is, however, not the case in Vietnam. To introduce re-use of drain water successfully in Vietnam a holistic approach is required. For example, the Ridder VitaLate system which disinfects drain water, will not work if there is not a well working drain water collecting system collecting and transporting the drain water to the Ridder VitaLite system. The system also requires adaptations in monitoring and adjusting the fertilizer application program, to prevent that crops will not perform up to their full potential.

Schematic overview of re using drain water (source: Ridder) and the project partners.

To demonstrate and convince horticulture growers (main beneficiaries) to invest in this technology we will establish a pilot project, where 2 systems to re-use drain water with the Ridder VitaLite are established with local growers. Through these 2 pilot systems we will:

  • Test the system on a commercial scale and eliminate any unforeseen issue
  • Quantify the results of drain water re-use e.g. crop performance, water savings, fertilizer savings (water footprint) of crops grown and return on investment
  • Demonstrate the Ridder VitaLite technology enabling drain water re-use to 500 – 750 growers stimulating adoption of the technology by local growers
  • Create awareness of authorities of the benefit of re-use of drain water
  • Enable upscaling and commercial application of re-using drain water by Vietnamese growers
  • Develop a leasing construction for growers who are unable to make the investment themselves

The long-term objective of our pilot project is that the re-use of drain water becomes common practice in the horticulture sector in Vietnam. This will support the development of a more sustainable, environmentally friendly and more efficient horticulture sector as re-use of drain water will greatly improve the water use efficiency and prevent contamination of the environment (eutrophication) through leaching of nutrient rich drain water into the environment. At the same time re-using drain water will reduce the production costs and make Vietnamese growers more cost efficient.

For more information about this project please contact:

René van Rensen

The Partners for Water program is implemented by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministries of Infrastructure and Water Management, Foreign Affairs, Economic Affairs and Climate and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

For more information see: www.partnersvoorwater.nl

Training Course On Mango Quality Assurance In The Field And The Packing House

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

On August 24th and 25th, 2023, the Green Innovation Centre (GIC) Viet Nam project, in collaboration with Fresh Studio Innovations Asia Co., Ltd., and Bureau Veritas Vietnam, organized a two-day training course in Cao Lanh City, Dong Thap Province, on mango quality assurance in both the field and the packing house.

The training was attended by 40 participants, including leaders of cooperatives and companies and officials from the Plant Production and Crop Protection Departments, Agriculture Extension Centers, and Agriculture Service Centers, from six provinces of An Giang, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, and Soc Trang.

Consumer concerns about the quality, safety, and hygiene of agricultural products have made food quality a top priority in the food supply system. To maintain quality, a consistent quality assurance process is required, from the production stage in the field to the packing house, through a system of traceability and farmer management. This is especially relevant for fruits, such as mango, when cooperatives and companies want to enter the international market and gain more value in the domestic market.

The purpose of the training was to enhance the participants’ ability to manage the mango supply and operate the packing house to maintain high-quality mango for both domestic and international markets. The course covered standards from basic (food safety, VietGAP) to advanced (Global G.A.P, organic) for quality assurance in the fields and HACCP for quality assurance in the packing house.

The training was intensive, combining presentations, group discussions, and field trips to mango orchards and packhouses. After the trips, the participants presented their observations and suggestions to improve current practices for better compliance with the standards.

Minh, leader of Long Binh Agricultural Cooperative, shared, “The course brings valuable knowledge and broadens my horizon. Through group discussions and field trips, I can build more connections, learn from others’ experiences, and have a deeper understanding of VietGAP.“

The training is one of the activities of the Strengthening the Mango Value Chain in the Mekong Delta, a component under the GIC Viet Nam project that aims to enable stakeholders throughout the value chain to successfully implement identified innovations to enhance their business in terms of sustainability, climate change resilience, and profitability.

As part of this component, specific trainings were organized for key staff of cooperatives, companies, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and other actors in the mango value chain on key subjects, including production, harvesting, packing, post-harvest management, quality assurance, sales, marketing, and management.

The GIC Viet Nam project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Improve profits by properly sourcing mangoes and managing the packhouse

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Seasonal production is one of the main problems causing unstable price throughout the year. Besides, the lack of management at the packhouse will lead to high post-harvest loss and reduce the ability to trace back once there is any quality problem.

Reckoning all these issues, the Mango Business School had organized a successful one-day training called “Mango sourcing & packhouse management” at Sao Mai Hotel, Dong Thap to strengthen the knowledge of cooperative’s and company’s leaders as well as local extensionists on 28th June 2023. The training is a capacity building activity operated under the Green Innovation Centers for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC Vietnam) project.

The training was provided by both Fresh Studio’s sourcing expert in cooperation with a lecturer from Nong Lam University. The lecture covered comprehensively from managing raw materials at production stage to packing stage through 6 topics: building sourcing area and farmer system, planning and prediction the production volume, standard operation for a packhouse and how to manage and finally, quality control at the packhouse.

40 participants had registered for this course, whom came from a diverse background such as cooperative, company and local extensionist. Besides presentation, the workshop creates lots room for discussion through minigames and exercises. Most of trainees feedback the course is useful for their current works.

Optimizing Mango fertilizer strategy from leaf and soil test result

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

Imbalance nutrients during fertilization often leads to high incidence of disease during pre and post-harvest of mango production. Therefore, under the umbrella of the Green Innovation Centre for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC), Fresh Studio has introduced soil and leaf test to help farmers understand more about their soil health and how the tree absorbs the nutrients. Understanding these features can help farmer step-by-step adjust their own fertilizer program.

On 7th June, Fresh Studio gave a short training for farmers in the six project province emphasizing the importance of balance nutrition for good yield and optimize production cost. More than 170 farmers attended the workshop and to be counted more. Together with the training, a guideline about nutrient management also provided to the farmers. The highlight of the training was emphasizing on how importance is the soil pH as the first step the correct the fertilizer application. pH tester paper was introduced and provided to the farmers attended to the training to help them understand the current situation of their soil before any corrective step.

Reading nutrient deficiency symptoms and checking the leaves

In addition to the fertilizer management workshop, Fresh Studio also promoted the importance of proper pruning for a fruitful yield and reduce the production cost. Mango farmers now pruned after harvest, however, still many producers did not prune properly. Additionally, the planting density is dense which cause numerous production issues, including high risk of disease and high production cost. It is interesting that after the training, GAP Cu Lao Gieng Cooperative has informed Fresh Studio that farmers started to reduce the planting density and the local agricultural department want to promote this innovation to more farmers.

Q&A during the workshop
Giving hand saw as a gift to remind frequent pruning to improve performance.

Last but not least, to keep track of the farming activity and learn practical lessons, Fresh Studio also highlighted the importance of keep a farm record and warmed up the contest.

Fruitful Sharing At Mango Post-harvest management training

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

As part of the Green Innovation Centers for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC Vietnam) project, Mango Business School successfully held the Mango post-harvest management training on May 18-19, 2023. The training took place at the Southern Horticultural Research Institute (SOFRI) and featured teaching from Rene Oostewechel, an international consultant Postharvest Technology at Wageningen University & Research.

The workshop was a resounding success, with nearly 60 actors from local authorities, cooperatives, companies, and farmers registering to attend. The trainees, who were enthusiastic about the course, absorbed many useful lectures and interesting activities.

Post-harvest treatment is crucial to increase profitability for farmers and businesses

This training course was part of the Mango Business School of the GIC project component. The primary aim of the training was to teach methodologies for controlling post-harvest losses during the mango supply chain, from harvesting to export. The course covered 07 topics: post-harvest management of mango, optimal storage conditions, prevention of post-harvest diseases, group discussions on how to prevent post-harvest diseases, packaging of mango fruits, modified packaging of mango fruit, and field trip.

In addition to classroom lectures, the course included field trips to the Hoang Phat Fruit Co. Ltd. packhouse, where trainees were shown the standard process of de-sapping, hot water treatment, packing, and cold storage. The field trips gave trainees hands-on experience in the mango supply chain and allowed them to see the practical application of the theories they learned in class.

Packhouse of Hoang Phat Fruit Ltd.

By the end of the training course, the trainees left with a wealth of knowledge on how to control post-harvest losses during the mango supply chain. Attendees were grateful for the opportunity to learn from an expert in postharvest technology and get hands-on experience in the field. It is hoped that the lessons learned in this course will be applied to the mango industry to reduce post-harvest losses and increase profitability for farmers and businesses.

GIC project for Mango development was presented by Fresh Studio at Mango Festival 2023

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

The Mango Festival 2023, held in Cao Lanh, Dong Thap from April 28th to May 1st, was a grand success, attracting over 150,000 visitors from both inside and outside the province.

Mango Festival 2023 in Dong Thap

The event was a bustling hub of activity, with various businesses showcasing their involvement with mangoes, ranging from planting and pest control to packaging and innovative uses. To further entice visitors, competitions such as drawing, storytelling, fruit styling, and culinary contests were held, adding to the festival’s energy and vibrancy. 

Among the participants was Fresh Studio, which presented a portion of the Green Innovation Center Vietnam for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC) project in collaboration with the GAP Cu Lao Gieng cooperative. The booth showcased the mangoes of the cooperative, highlighting the effects of the hot water treatment and de-sapping technology, and the solar-dried mangoes. Visitors were treated to the flavorsome solar-dried mangoes and the fresh mangoes, which were a testament to the quality of the produce.

Fresh Studio also had the opportunity to present the GIC project to the audience during a conference on April 30th, where even the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development was in attendance. The conference mainly focused on the latest mango farming techniques and post-harvest mango preservation. The event was interactive, with attendees actively participating in the conference. Fresh Studio’s participation in the Mango Festival was also covered in Doanh Nghiep Tiep Thi and the Evening News of Dong Thap television, amplifying the project’s reach. 

The Mango Festival served as a platform for the GIC project and the GAP Cu Lao Gieng cooperative to receive recognition from visitors and businesses. The event was a significant success, and Fresh Studio would like to express its sincere gratitude to the Vice Chairman of Dong Thap Province People’s Committee for organizing the Mango Festival and everyone involved in making the event possible. 

Fresh Studio at the Fifth Exhibition of HortEx Vietnam 2023

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

From March 1st to March 3rd, 2023, the fifth international exhibition and conference for Horticultural and Floricultural and Processing Technology, HortEx Vietnam 2023, was held successfully.

Fresh Studio at the HortEx Vietnam 2023

This year, Fresh Studio was pleased to participate in the exposition in collaboration with partners Elysee, Fitto, Agrico, Limgroup, Agriance, Gautier, BVB Substrates, BASF, Nunhems, Koppert, and Royal Brinkman. Thanks to the trust of our partners, Fresh Studio was honored to present them and introduce their applications to visitors at the same booth.

At the booth, we welcomed visitors and potential clients, introducing and advising them on our services and how they could fit into their business, such as seeds, greenhouse film, irrigation systems, and substrates. Visitors had the opportunity to try our vegetables and take samples of the supplies, helping us gain more trust and reliability from clients. Everyone was impressed by the grandiose display of the booth and how helpful we were.

In addition, on the first day, our Managing Partner, Rene van Rensen, held two seminars at the exhibition. These seminars aimed to help visitors and potential clients understand more about Fresh Studio’s impacts and services in the horticultural sector. The seminars also showed how we could help them build a sustainable business in the future. In the past, we created value chains for different products, introduced high-quality substrates, modern greenhouse film, and more to help farmers and cooperatives.

The second seminar was about cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands toward a sustainable horticultural sector. The conference was held by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Vietnam, the Agricultural Counselor, the Deputy Director General, the Crop Production Department, and other businesses such as Open Asia/Larive, Koppert, Ridder, and Fresh Studio. Rene van Rensen introduced the impact of the application of biological control agents to keep pests and diseases under the economic threshold. Depending on the crops, we could apply selected natural enemies and biological control products to maximize prevention naturally, instead of using chemical pest control.

Fresh Studio would like to thank our sponsors, partners, and visitors. Without them, this successful event could not have happened. Thank you for visiting and reaching out to us. We hope to see you again in the future.

Potential Application of Mango Processing Technology in the Mekong Delta-River Workshop at Tien Giang

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

As part of the Green Innovation Centers for Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC) project, an informative workshop was held on February 24, 2023 in Tien Giang. The workshop focused on ‘The potential applications to process the mangos in the Mekong Delta’. The objective of the workshop was to bring together companies, farmers, and cooperatives to share, listen, and learn from each other’s experiences. The experts from Covestro, Sofri, and Phap Viet Food led the workshop.

First, Covestro introduced the Greenhouse Solar Dryer. Ms. Phuong Mai Pham, the Inclusive Business Development Manager, explained that this dryer has the potential to be applied in the Mekong Delta due to the region’s high rate of solar radiation in comparison to Central and North Vietnam. She highlighted the benefits of using this method instead of electricity-run equipment, which included cost savings, and increased visual and nutritional qualities.

Next, Dr. Phong from Sofri explained the method of applying Solar Drying House technology for vegetables and fresh and processed food. He also shared information about the typical characteristics of vegetables and how to effectively optimize the quality of the product. Finally, Mr. Thanh Khe Dao from Phap Viet Food demonstrated the applied technology and equipment for processing mango products, including dried, pureed, and beverages made from mango flesh and skin.

In the afternoon, the cooperatives presented their projects, followed by a Q&A session. Participants actively asked questions about the presented projects and topics. At the end of the day, participants were excited to see the model of the Greenhouse Solar Dryer, which made the applied solution more powerful and believable for their future projects.

The workshop was a success, thanks to the participant companies who helped the cooperatives and farmers during the workshop. Participants have time until the next workshop to discuss whether to invest in the applications or not. Upcoming workshops have been planned: reporting the results and transferring the technology in March, and training on how to do business, e-commerce, and connect to the market for processed mango products in June.

Launching of ‘My Mango Farm Diary’ contest and ‘Anthracnose control’ workshop

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

My Mango Farm Diary contest

Farm diary has been receiving attention not only from buyers but also responsible consumers. It is the first priority to be issued production unit code (PUC), so that the products produced on the farm can be exported.

On 8th February, Fresh Studio kicked off the “My Mango Farm Diary” contest to encourage farmer to document their production process in 10 partnered cooperatives. The contest aimed to create a habit for farmers to write what agro-chemical products they used, which can increase transparency, reliability and confidence for the end-users.

My Mango farm diary contest and anthracnose control workshop

The contest received a warm welcome from cooperative leaders. They reckoned that writing farm production diary is the most challenging task; however, the GIC mango project motivates the growers through this contest and interesting rewards. At present, 242 farmers have signed up the contest. Tinh Thoi Cooperative (Dong Thap), Binh Hang Trung Cooperative (Dong Thap) and Cat Hoa Loc Hon Dat Cooperative (Kien Giang) are the top 3 having the highest number of participants.

Workshop – Anthracnose control

Besides the contest, how to use the agro-chemical products correctly and comply to the requirements of the market, Fresh Studio also collaborated with BASF – a German agro-chemical producer – to give a short talk on the control of anthracnose in the rainy season. BASF representatives also selected some farmers to make demonstration of their anthracnose control protocol so the farmers can see the efficacy by their own eyes.

Mango farming training related to the climate-smart agriculture in Dong Thap and An Giang

Posted on by Ngô Khoa

From 8 to 11 November 2022 as part of the Mango Business School activities under the Green Innovation Centers for the agriculture and food sector (GIC) project: ‘Strengthening the Mango value chain in the Mekong River Delta’, project partners were trained in mango farming strategies related to efficient fertilizer application, pruning strategy, anthracnose control and irrigation strategy. The training was provided by experts from Can Tho University, Eurofins, Loc Troi and Fresh Studio.

All trainees were actively involved in the various training sessions

During the training, trainees learned how to prune branches to create canopy properly, the demand and calculation of soil nutrients, the reasons for soil and leaf tests, calculation the amount of water required for mango trees, determine the appropriate time to irrigate through smart devices, and identify, treat anthracnose. The highly participatory approach of the training resulted that all trainees were actively involved in the various training sessions.

The knowledge and methods trained during the classroom sessions were applied by the trainees during their assignments. They experienced what they learned on the day of practice in the demo farm. It was very exciting for them to practice measuring soil moisture through modern equipment such as tension meter, electric sensor and compared with manual method. They also practiced taking soil and leaf samples and performing pruning and anthracnose identification. Compared with the theoretical study in class, the practical day helps them understand the knowledge deeper and have the plan to apply these advanced techniques to their orchards in the near future.

About the project

GIC Vietnam is jointly implemented by Ministry of agriculture and rural development (MARD) and GIZ and funded by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project aims to promote sustainable Mango Value Chain in six provinces of the Mekong River Delta (MRD): Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Can Tho, Hau Giang and Soc Trang by fostering innovations on mango value chains.

This project aims to increase the productivity and income of small-scale farming households, create new jobs and improve resilience of the mango value chains through implementation of climate-intelligent innovations.

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