Bringing Ben Tre Green Pomelo to the West: The Story of "Pink Lady Pomelo" & The Advantages for Cooperative Farmers

The journey of bringing Ben Tre green-skinned pomelo to the international market is not only a pride of Vietnamese agricultural products but also a testament to the right direction of the Cooperative model. Let's explore the journey to conquer the North American market and the immense benefits hundreds of farmers receive when joining the Cooperative.

1. The "Strange Specialty" and the Story of Teaching Westerners How to Eat Pomelo

In August 2019, the first Ben Tre green-skinned pomelos under the brand Pink Lady Pomelo officially arrived in the Canadian market with the support of the Vietnam Cooperative Enterprise Development (VCED - Socodevi Vietnam) project management board.

At that time, a hilarious situation occurred: The locals did not know how to eat a pomelo. They cut the fruit like an orange - without peeling the green skin, without removing the white pith, just taking a bite and frowning: "Vietnam's specialty... is so strange!"

Witnessing this, the Ben Tre Green+ Pomelo Cooperative and Socodevi decided they needed to "educate the market." The unit immediately produced videos instructing how to peel and enjoy the pomelo the proper Vietnamese way. At the same time, every exported box of pomelo came with a sticker and a detailed instruction leaflet.

Thanks to this, Canadian customers in particular and international consumers in general have learned how to fully enjoy the sweet taste and crispiness of the pomelo vesicles. Up to now, thousands of tons of Pink Lady Pomelos have confidently appeared on supermarket shelves in Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.

2. Strict Standards: The Golden Ticket to the World

To conquer demanding markets, green-skinned pomelos must overcome extremely strict technical barriers:

• International Standards: Products must strictly meet food safety standards such as VietGAP and GlobalGAP.

• Zero Chemical Residues: 100% of the pomelos are tested for residues two weeks prior to export. According to the results from the Eurofins Testing Center (which tests for 700 different substances), both the pomelo flesh and peel have absolutely zero pesticide residues.

• Traceability: Each pomelo is affixed with a traceability stamp, allowing consumers to scan the code to know the exact origin down to each farming household and detailed cultivation processes.

Ms. La Thi Nga - Sales Manager of the VCED project shared: "When consuming clean pomelos, buyers can be completely assured about residues, microorganisms, and heavy metals. A safe pomelo orchard uses decomposed organic fertilizers, maintains grass cover, harbors weaver ants, and properly removes damaged fruits."

3. Outstanding Advantages When Farmers Join the Cooperative

Established in 2016 with merely 69 members, the Ben Tre Green Pomelo Cooperative has now gathered nearly 500 members with over 100 hectares of standardized raw material areas. The total supply output reaches up to 1,500 tons/year. Besides exporting, the products also cover major domestic supermarkets such as Big C, Mega Market, etc.

By joining the Cooperative, farmers hold significant privileges:

• Stable Output: Unlike traders who often abandon farmers during market fluctuations, the Cooperative always stands by its members to off-take products.

• Optimizing Agricultural Value: Instead of discarding small pomelos, the Cooperative purchases 100% of the yield. Standard pomelos are sold to supermarkets (50%) and retail markets (30%), while the remaining 20% of small pomelos are processed into pure juice extracts to maximize revenue.

• Profit Sharing (Dividends): At the end of the year, if the business operations are profitable after deducting expenses, the Cooperative will distribute profits back to its members based on their transaction ratios.

4. The Symbolic Meaning of "Pink Lady Pomelo"

The brand Pink Lady Pomelo was not chosen by chance. The green-skinned pomelo possesses the characteristic of "green skin, red heart", with a pinkish flesh, a sweet and crisp flavor, and contains extremely high levels of vitamins and rare trace elements.

The image of the pomelo is compared to the gentle and pure beauty of a Vietnamese girl. This highly figurative name has helped international friends easily remember and love a specialty bearing the strong geographical indication of Ben Tre on the global agricultural map.