Southern province exports fresh coconuts

      A farmer in Tan Thanh Binh commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province, has said his consignment of fresh, juicy coconuts was accepted by customers in Germany and the Czech Republic.
They also agreed to sign contracts to buy large amounts of coconuts, said Mr Hoang Quy, who owns a fruit farm named after him.
Mr Quy has cooperated with Tran Yen Thao, MSc, at an institute for research into Vietnamese plants which can be used to produce oil, to develop a process to keep coconuts fresh for up to six weeks in order to meet foreign demand.
The successful application of this new preservation method promises to expand opportunities for the export of fresh coconuts rich in juice, which has long been done by Thailand.
In Vietnam, the southern province of Ben Tre is the only spot that grows this type of coconut on a large scale. The coconut has a great volume of drinkable juice.
The Hoang Quy farm is buying coconuts at VND4,000 per fruit.