Ben Luc lime to expand its reach in international markets

Long An is currently the largest lime-producing province in the Mekong Delta, with over 11,000 hectares of lime production area; notably, Ben Luc district currently accounts for more than half of this production area, with its output primarily consisting of seedless limes and persian limes. As a result, Ben Luc district is the key lime production area in Long An province.

Le Van Nam, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Office in Ben Luc district, reported that local lime production activities first began in 2012. The district is currently managing over 7,100 hectares of lime production area, with more than 6,000 hectares of fruit-yielding trees.

Ben Luc produces approximately 100,000 tons of limes per year. The majority of Ben Luc limes are exported to various markets in Europe and Asia. Namely, between 60 and 70% of the district’s output is exported to the Middle East; 15% is GlobalGAP-certified and exported to Europe; and the remaining output is exported to other markets or consumed domestically.

Lime farmers in Ben Luc were previously self-sufficient in terms of securing market outlets for their produce. In recent years, the District People’s Committee has actively facilitated connections with both domestic and international businesses to promote lime trading activities. The district successfully connected a Dutch company with several local farmers and 405 hectares of GlobalGAP-compliant lime production area. As a result of this initiative, the company engaged directly with the farmers and signed contracts to purchase limes from over 100 hectares.

Prior to this initiative, lime prices in Ben Luc district were typically unstable, with the lowest recorded prices falling below production costs. However, lime prices have remained at a high level after late 2023, ranging from 18,000 to 27,000 VND per kilogram. This improvement has significantly motivated local lime farmers to continue production.

Notably, businesses and cooperatives involved in lime production and trade in Long An province have become increasingly proactive in identifying markets for their products. A prominent example of this is the Ben Luc Agricultural Service Cooperative.

Established in 2015, the Ben Luc Agricultural Service Cooperative has expanded steadily over ten years. Tran Duy Thuan, Chairman of the Cooperative’s Board of Directors, stated that the cooperative is currently managing 150 hectares of lime production area, including 49 hectares owned by the cooperative and over 100 hectares partnered with local farmers. The cooperative produces approximately 700 tons of limes per year, with 500 to 600 tons exported to various markets and the remaining quantity sold in Cambodia and domestic markets.

One persistent challenge facing Ben Luc Agricultural Service Cooperative is the lack of control over its distribution process. The cooperative previously focused on production and preliminary processing and relied on businesses for product distribution.

During several harvesting seasons, purchase orders from businesses were significantly lower than the cooperative’s lime output, affecting the cooperative’s ability to market its entire harvest. Conversely, businesses have also purchased limes intermittently, leading to sharp price drops and an unprofitable harvesting season for cooperative members.

Ben Luc Agricultural Service Cooperative has taken proactive measures to explore and access the Middle Eastern market in order to address this challenge and enhance the value of its limes. Accordingly, the cooperative has dispatched several representatives to Dubai to study the market, engage with potential buyers, and establish a trading office. This approach has provided the cooperative with valuable market insights, enabling them to accurately assess demand, connect with customers, and establish direct lime exports to Dubai with a capacity of one to two containers per week.

In addition to exports to the Middle East, Ben Luc Agricultural Service Cooperative is expanding its target market range to include Thailand and Malaysia. The cooperative recently partnered with a company in Ben Tre and successfully exported two containers of limes to New Zealand.

Chairman Thuan is confident that China will approve the official export of Vietnamese citrus fruits, including limes, in the near future. With the official export status, Ben Luc limes will have the opportunity to enter the Chinese market.

On another note, a seedless lime cooperative in Tra Vinh province has contributed to improving the lives of local residents by expanding exports to the European market. Accordingly, Thanh Tri Seedless Lime Cooperative promotes strict compliance with international GlobalGAP standards; and participating farmers receive support prices starting from 10,000 VND per kilogram. Additionally, they benefit from preferential rates when purchasing fertilizers and pesticides without relying on intermediaries.