Japan’s Nichirei Suco Company on July 17 began construction of a plant to process acerola fruit in Go Cong Dong district, southern Tien Giang province.

The 90 billion VND (4.2 million USD) plant is scheduled to start operation in March 2014, helping introduce the local specialty fruit to the world.

Tien Giang province has the largest area of acerola trees (scientific name Malpighia emarginate) in the country which produce 4,000 to 5,000 tonnes per year.

As one of the seven main fruits in Tien Giang, the acerola, known as very rich in vitamin C, has been exported to Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong (China).

Earlier, the Japanese company has invested six billion VND to build a research centre in Binh Nghi commune, Go Dong district, to improve quality of acerola fruits for export while increasing income for growers.

Source: VNA/ Photo: nongsanngon.com.vn