Ninh Thuan (VNS/VNA)- The south-central province of Ninh Thuan, the country’s largest grapeproducer, is expanding cultivation of high-quality foreign grape varieties.

Truong Thi Thu Thao in Ninh Phuoc district’s Phuoc Dan townwas one of the first farmers to grow Scarlotta, a US red seedless grape variety.

Thao has planted nearly 200 Scarlotta grape vines on a500sq.m area, and plans to grow more.

Scarlotta grapes are harvested five months after plantingwith a yield of more than 50 kilos per vine a year, she said.

The grape variety is resistant to disease and suited to theprovince’s dry and hot weather. Scarlotta berries are large, sweet and slightlycrispy. 

Nguyen Vui, owner of Toan Thinh grape seedling establishmentin Phuoc Dan, said foreign grape varieties normally have large berries withgood shape and colour, and a sweet and crisp taste with fragrant flavour. Theyare neither too sour nor too sweet.

His establishment is selling seedlings of many foreign grapevarieties like Scarlotta, Kyoho, Black Queen and Shine Musat to farmers.

The province, which has the lowest rainfall in the country,has more than 1,200ha of grapes.

The province’s grape area accounts for only 3-3.5 percent ofthe province’s total farming area, but the value of grape accounts for 19-20 percentof the province’s total agriculture value, according to the province’sDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The red cardinal and NH 01-48 grapes are the province’s twomajor grape varieties. 

The red cardinal was the first grape variety planted in theprovince and now accounts for 80 percent of the province’s grape area.

NH 01-48 green grape is a high-quality table grape varietybut its yield and quality are stable in only some areas that have suitableweather and soil conditions.

To improve the quality of grapes, the province has conductedresearch to create new seedless grape varieties like NH 04-61, NH 04-128 and NH01-152, and to develop high-quality foreign grape varieties.

Pham Dung, head of the department’s Plant Protection and CultivationSub-department, said the department would work with farmers to complete a drafton growing processes for foreign grape varieties. The processes will betransferred to farmers to ensure high-quality grape varieties in the province. 

The province has encouraged grape farmers to use Vietnamesegood agricultural practices (VietGAP) standards.

Under its plan to restructure agriculture in the 2017- 2030period, the province will expand its grape cultivation in Ninh Hai, Ninh Phuocand Ninh Son districts and Phan Rang-Thap Cham city.

The plan targets having 2,000ha of grapes with an output of50,000 tonnes next year. The province has about 8,000ha of arable land suitedfor growing grapes./.